| Home | The Band | The Music | The Critics & Fans | Other Stuff |

One listen to "Subspace Biographies," the three-minute shot of scrappy power-pop that serves as the lead single on Robert Pollard's second solo effort, Waved Out, will erase any speculations that Pollard is moving away from the deadly infectious rock 'n' roll songwriting that has marked his full-time muse, Guided By Voices. Bolstered by Doug Gillard's chugging guitar work, the song finds Pollard churning out the kind of warped lyrics and gleaming vocal melodies that define his best stuff, only here it's polished to a brighter shine by his increasing comfort in a studio setting. The rest of Waved Out follows a similar course: Pollard's writing turns more personal (the piano-based "People Are Leaving" is certainly one of the most touching things he's ever done) and his sonic inclinations gear towards the straightforward and tight than the low-fi and off-kilter. --