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Robert Pollard and his group Guided By Voices have been poster boys for the lo-fi approach to record making for many years. Despite such a defiantly low-budget recording approach, Pollard has also been praised for his surrealistic lyrical imagery and refined pop sensibilities. In 1996, Pollard released his first solo outing, Not In My Airforce, on Matador Records so that he could experiment and explore his creative muse outside of the expectations reserved for GBV. While GBV prepares to enter the studio in August to begin work on a new album (which is expected to be produced by a prominent artist/producer) Pollard is releasing his second solo effort, Waved Out, on June 23. Pollard's manager David Newgarden of Manage This! describes Waved Out by saying, "the other one was definitely more lo-fi, home thing, and (on) this one he spent more time (and recorded) it in a studio, Cro-Magnum in Dayton." However, Robert Pollard explains it a different way: "To some people it might be a step backwards. The difference (between) what people call my solo records and a Guided By Voices record is the degree of unprofessionalism. With Robert Pollard, I'm allowed to crank it out with less production, and with Guided By Voices I'm expected to go up to the next level as far as sound quality is concerned." Pollard collaborated with his multi-instrumentalist brother Jimmy, longtime Breeders and Amps drummer (and fellow Dayton, Ohio resident) Jim MacPherson, longtime Cobra Verde guitarist Doug Gillard on parts of the record, but Pollard handled most of the work himself. "I did probably 80% of it myself. I'm really happy with this; it's probably my favorite record that I've done since maybe (GBV's 1993 album) Vampire On Titus," Pollard adds. While Pollard is not planning any solo concerts, Guided By Voices will be touring through August and will perform some of Pollard's solo tunes. According to Donovan Finn in Matador's radio promotions department, the first single, "Subspace Biographies," will be worked to commercial specialty shows and small-market commercial radio. "He could get very consistent specialty show play - it'll probably coincide with the release of Waved Out, Matador is also planning to release a 45-minute GBV documentary video called Watch Me Jumpstart by Banks Tarver, the brother of Chavez guitarist Clay Tarver. CMJ New Music Report is copyrighted 1998 by College Media Inc. All rights reserved.