ROBERT POLLARD
NORMAL HAPPINESS
MERGE

HARP
By Randy Harward

With the double whammy of last year's From A Compound Eye and now Normal Happiness, Bob Pollard has dispelled any lingering doubts as to whether the demise of Guided By Voices was (ultimately) for the good. Again performed entirely by Pollard and producer Todd Tobias, the slim set (16 songs in 32 minutes compared with F.A.C.E's 26 songs and 70 minutes) sticks to Pollard's three-minute (or less) miracle method. He hooks up fast and true with bafflingly simple melodies, executed with a modicum of instrumentation (guitar-bass-drums-keys) and apparently the greatest of ease. For this, it's tempting to lionize him - but we know from past stumblings that Bob's no superhero. He does, however, post-GBV, have the hot hand; there's nary a stinker here. Is it a truer autonomy of work, or is it just changed scenery? Whatever; it's working. And though we'll soon not forget GBV it's so, so good that, should one day we wanna, Pollard's made it easy.