When Julian Casablancas founded The Strokes, one of his primary influences was a lo-fi garage-rock band from Dayton, Ohio, called Guided By Voices, who are celebrating 40 years of existence this September.
The highly prolific cult band don’t appear to be slowing down as they approach this milestone, as Welshpool Frillies comes hot on the heels of La La Land, which was released only in January.
Incredibly, this is their eighth studio album in the space of three years, a work rate that would almost make Mark E Smith and The Fall look lazy.
Similar to The Fall, you could say that Guided by Voices, led by their charismatic lead singer, Rob Pollard, are always different but always the same.
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Welshpool Frillies is yet another collection of scuzzy pop and delicious riffs, topped off by Pollard’s deadpan voice and surreal lyrics on curiously titled songs such as Rust Belt Boogie, Cats on Heat, Radioactive Pigeons, and the closing title track, Welshpool Frillies.
Intriguingly, GBV in 2023 sound like a rather slick and well-oiled sonic machine in the studio, in contrast to early breakthrough albums such as Bee Thousand (1994) and Alien Lanes (1995), which featured more of a lo-fi sensibility.
Welshpool Frillies adds to their sprawling back catalogue of approximately 40 albums, as they can be challenging to keep accurate tabs on. They’ll probably churn out another album or two before their 40th birthday, but if they continue to make music that is this good, then just keep ’em coming.
