Toronto Star
Vit Wagner


Guided By Voices
Earthquake Glue
Matador Records

It's a fair bet that a band that has released 14 studio albums in roughly as many years while remaining largely invisible above the indie radar probably can't expect a sudden boost in its commercial profile, no matter how dazzling its latest effort might be. So it's likely Dayton's Guided By Voices will have to content itself with another batch of year-end critical kudos, despite having made an album with the potential to seduce anyone with an ear for well-crafted pop rock -- including listeners largely unfamiliar with prolific frontman Robert Pollard's voluminous output.

Earthquake Glue is a masterful addition to that catalogue. From the jangle pop of opener My Kind Of Soldier to the fuzzily propulsive Of Mites And Men, the disc's 15 tracks favour a tight, timeless and hooky approach that in places distantly echoes Quadrophenia-era The Who. Full marks.