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Bob Pollard
Kid Marine
Rockathon

Our hero waits for no one, not even Matador. Guided by Voices has a record in the can, but no label to release it. So, to fulfill the desires of the Fans (hereafter referred to as the Postal Blowfish, of which I am a proud member), as well as his prolific songwriting pace, Mr.Pollard has released a third solo album, the conceptual Kid Marine. And once again, the former schoolteacher has shown the kids the proper way to rock.

The album, like most of Pollard's work, is very Who-influenced, with three-part harmonies a la "Tommy," recurring themes reminiscent of Quadrophenia, and windmills from "Sell Out." The production quality is worlds ahead from earlier releases like Propeller and Bee Thousand, yet not as slick as Mag Earwig!. This middle ground lends itself well to Mr.Pollard's vision; raw, yet energized by the lack of special effects. It retains the aesthetics of other GBV releases -- do what you can with what you have. Very subtle keyboards are added when needed; at other times, only a guitar and a voice are necessary to convey the feelings. Lyrically, there are shades of Peter Gabriel's 1970's fantasy worlds. Phrases like, "Their wails heard from scenic overlooks/And like fish marinating/In the swamp, the glade/The pig-nosed parade," are delivered with the obligatory British Rocker accent. But don't try to decipher meaning from the lyrics. It is not Mr. Pollard's intent to make statements.