Robert Pollard – We All Got Out Of The Army

by Jeremy Schaefer on March 9th, 2010

Robert Pollard – We All Got Out Of The Army
Guided By Voices Inc.
February 16th, 2010
Score: 6.8

Robert Pollard is arguably one of the most prolific artists working today. This year alone, he’ll release more records (under his own name and as part of other projects) than many artists release in their entire career. His latest offering We All Get Out Of The Army features 17 tracks that benefit from the lightning pace at which they were created. The opening track ‘Silk Rotor’ sets the tone for the album: classic rock guitars, a catchy pop chorus, and punk rock brevity. Songs like ‘Your Rate Will Never Go Up’ open with a shoe-tapping hook before moving into a vocal melody that demands you sing along. Around the time you learn the words, however, Pollard has moved on to the next song. The title track ‘We All Got Out (Of The Army)’ is a chaotic rocker that transitions smoothly into the somber ballad ‘Faster To Babylon.’ I was still impressed by the transition when I heard Pollard sing, “This will not be the title track, though we thought maybe it should” – the two songs bound by that one vocal line are equally married by theme. Much of the album progresses in a similar fashion as though the 17 songs were a rock ‘n’ roll stream of consciousness letting each song naturally emerge out of the previous. At times, the next song arrives before we’re quite ready but it inevitably sucks us in more often than not. For any fan who thinks they can keep up with Pollard’s pace, We All Got Out Of The Army suggests that he has a lot to say in 2010 and we’ll likely get to hear more very soon.

Jeremy Schaefer

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