The output of Robert Pollard and Guided By Voices remains more than impressive. And with each subsequent release, loyal listeners find themselves comparing whatever the latest long-player is to the last one, or the one right before that. The band's put out eight (!) albums in four years, with a whopping three records in 2019 alone. And with each dispatch from GBV HQ, the first question is invariably, "How's this one compared to the last one?" I think Mirrored Aztec, the group's newest one, out on Friday via Rockathon Records, might be my favorite from the lads since 2018's Space Gun. That's high praise indeed but this new one is just so peppy that I'm sort of glad there's none of the rambling that plagued Zeppelin Over China, for instance.
Doing that familiar Pollard math where if more songs are crammed onto a shorter record, it's a better release, Mirrored Aztec, with 18 songs over a tight 40-or-so minutes, can be counted as a real success. Not only is it a gem, but it starts with some of Pollard's liveliest compositions in ages. "I Think I Had It. I Think I Have It." works up a nice mid-tempo roar equal to that when it's been trotted out in recent live settings, while "Citizen's Blitz" revs up like some unholy mix of Rush and The Cars. It's a sleek little number, and one of the real highlights here, as is the Seventies-rock of "To Keep an Area", a real get-your-lighters-out-kind of number. Similarly, "Easier Not Charming" hits a stride atop chugging riffs and a nice melodic hook.
If, after a few missteps ("Transfusion", "Math Rock"), the bright "Show of Hands" starts the fine second half of Mirrored Aztec , the soaring "A Whale is Top Notch", sounding like something from Bee Thousand, reveals itself as the clear single on this part of the record. "Screaming the Night Away" gets away with some faint prog-flavors, while the charming "Thank You Jane" could be mistaken from something from GBV during the Clinton years. Still, while that one and "Haircut Sphinx" stand out, other selections, like "Party Rages On" and a few more numbers here, seem similar to each other, but at least they're all reliably-routine rockers. The weakest selection here is still better than the weaker cuts on Zeppelin Over China, to put it bluntly.
Mirrored Aztec is concise enough that I anticipate playing this one as much as any of the last few GBV releases. Pollard and crew are not re-inventing the formula here, but they are at least reminding listeners of what a dependable outfit this band can be. Fans of, say, the late Nineties output of Guided By Voices will be happy with this record. I mean, Mirrored Aztec is more Mag Earwhig! (1997) than Do The Collapse (1999), but I know that some of you who are reading this will see that as praise, and some as a dig. It's a more than serviceable record, and one which has at least a few real winners on it, enough that there's no doubt that Robert Pollard is still capable of creating power-pop magic when he puts his mind to it, and with this current iteration of the band.
Mirrored Aztec is out on Friday via Rockathon Records.
More details via the official Guided By Voices site.
[Photo: Guided By Voices Facebook page]