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Revolver Magazine
Leah Alderaan
****3/4 

Guided By Voices
Do The Collapse   
TVT

After 10 or so albums (and countless single/EP releases), it seems Guided By Voices have decided to shed the lo-fi tag once and for all. Employing the production talents of Cars singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek on "Do The Collapse", and starting afresh on TVT Records, GBV now appear to be well-equipped for full-scale battle in the music arena.

First single, and already receiving high rotation on Triple J and FBI radio, is the synthed-out 'Teenage FBI', which starts with tinny vocals and reverbed guitar and keyboards, filling out at the chorus to a crescendo of stadium magnitude. Herein, hooky riffs, gorgeous harmonies and a damned well catchy chorus equates with instant airplay. The tip-off for Single no.2 is 'Hold On Hope', a beautifully melancholic ballad, that seems to cite the human condition within the space of a few verses. "Everybody's got a hold on hope, it's the last thing that's holding me," Bob Pollard's plaintive vocals suggest against a soundscape coloured with layers of piano and strings, with newly discovered multitrack recording in full effect. 'Surgical Focus' remains true to previous GBV tracks; an unabashed pop song that chugs along with just enough discordance to give it its authenticity. Also true to form is 'Liquid Indian', with it's striking chord changes that eventually level out to a harmonious chorus.

While the beauty of past albums such as "Bee Thousand", "Alien Lanes" and the glorious "Under the Bushes, Under the Stars" lay in the rawness of production and the consumate songwriting talents of Pollard, it's all the more pleasing to hear the band finally coming into their own with advanced production. The music of Guided By Voices can now truly shine.