ROBERT POLLARD
NORMAL HAPPINESS
MERGE

MAGNET

Bob is TCB post-GBV. Translation: Robert Pollard's second solo album since Guided By Voices' dissolution takes care of business, offering 16 songs in a mere 35 minutes. However, the dense, prog-tinged tunes on Normal Happiness rarely take the direct route. These songs (recorded with frequent collaborator Todd Tobias) constantly twist melodies and turn pop songwriting structures inside out, making Normal Happiness Pollard's most efficent and exploratory album in years.