Guided By Voices: Isolation Drills

Since abandoning the low-fidelity sound that first brought him fame—or at least consigning it to his abundant side projects and solo albums—Guided By Voices frontman Robert Pollard has set out on a quest for studio perfection with the stated intention of hearing his music on the radio. If he recognizes the quixotic nature of the endeavor, coming at a time when the guitar-based pop-rock at which he excels has largely fallen out of fashion, his music never reveals it. Here's hoping he never wakes up from the delusion. After getting off to a tentative start with Under The Bushes Under The Stars and Mag Earwhig!, the new-sound GBV hit its stride with 1999's Do The Collapse. Or so it seemed at the time. The overreaching chunk-rock of Isolation Drills outdoes it while exemplifying everything that makes Pollard's progress so fascinating. From GBV's earliest days, Pollard has displayed, in almost equal measure, a talent for catchy melodies and for daring eccentricity, with his best songs balancing the two instincts. That dynamic pervades Isolation Drills, with the tension producing some of the most instantly enjoyable songs of Pollard's career while maintaining a strong sense of experimentation. By trading in former producer Ric Ocasek for Rob Schnapf (Foo Fighters, Beck), Pollard has found a kindred soul who matches his fondness for the sound of rock played big. All the group has lost from the new approach are the quiet, acoustic asides, which have largely been sacrificed. But Isolation Drills, which knows when to tone down the bombast, doesn't lack for delicacy. "Chasing Heather Crazy" and "Glad Girls" immediately stand out, but the subtle moments of "Sister I Need Wine" and "How's My Drinking" (spot the motif!) prove equally important in making Isolation Drills another highlight in GBV's continued ascent.