Robert Pollard :: Normal Happiness

Well shit, Bob Pollard’s back…again?!!? Where does the lore of a band stop and the music begin? Or are they one and the same? After a period of time I would have to say that, yes, they are indeed one in the same. They become intertwined and inseparable from one another.
The former elementary school teacher from Dayton, OH may have put an end to the Guided By Voices moniker, but by no means has he slowed down. Boasting 16 songs in a little over 35 minutes, Normal Happiness, Pollard’s 2nd album of 2006 on the Merge label, follows up the (double) album From A Compound Eye. Stylistically the album feels like a continuation of Compound Eye, but with less to rave about.
Pollard’s gift is knocking out brilliant Pop nuggets of brevity. Normal Happiness milks that with each song clocking in around the two minute mark. Todd Tobias again acts as the album’s producer filling in on instrumentation while adding overdubs to Pollard’s skeletal blueprints. Existing Guided By Voices fans and Pollard devotees will find much enjoyable fare to chew on here (believe me), but for the casual listener I would recommend investigating the artist’s first solo LP of 2006, and/or selections from the vast GBV canon. Just be forewarned, it’s quite the slippery slope.

+++ Album drops October 10th….

DOWNLOAD:
MP3: Robert Pollard :: Supernatural Car Lover
MP3: Robert Pollard :: Serious Bird Woman (You Turn Me On)
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Amazon: Robert Pollard – Normal Happiness
www.robertpollard.net

+ Robert Pollard available through eMusic’s 25 Free MP3 offer.
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+ Visit The Hype Machine for additional Robert Pollard MP3s.