Here We Are: A Brief Review Of The New Album From Circus Devils (Robert Pollard Of Guided By Voices)

On their first new album in six years, Circus Devils serve up lo fi of a sort that's been infused with a healthy dose of classic rock as points of inspiration. The tunes here from Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices, etc.) and Tim and Todd Tobias are concise and, at least on this release, a bit more accessible thank some recent GBV offerings. Squeeze The Needle charts another path for Pollard's prolific skills.

"Getting Better" is a churning little number, bits of metal informing the hooks, while "Honeymoon in Waynesville" suggests more conventional pleasures. "(I'm a Happy) Baby Boy" is a wisp of a tune, but it has a great riff, while the wonderfully-titled "Strawberry Limousine" is a nice showcase for Pollard's plaintive vocals. Those numbers are the highlights here for me, though there may be a bunch more for other listeners.

What makes Squeeze the Lemon enjoyable is that it points back to the days when Pollard would crank out a ton of short songs. With Guided by Voices lately interested in proggy pursuits, this record has a lot of throwback appeal in that regard. There's a lot of cleverness on display here, and the brief songs all punch a bit higher than their weight in terms of taking rock forms and twisting them in new directions. Robert Pollard sounds comfortable here, and he's engaged in a way that makes this feel very much like a record from much earlier in his long career. For those put off by the more expansive GBV stuff of late, this Circus Devils ought to be the perfect prescription for you.

Squeeze the Lemon from Circus Devils is out now. Details below.

[Photo: Circus Devils Discogs entry; no rights implied]