Guided by Voices – Motivational Jumpsuit

There’s nothing wrong with Motivational Jumpsuit, in and of itself....
Guided by Voices : Motivational Jumpsuit
6.7 Guided by Voices
2014 

Guided by Voices : Motivational Jumpsuit

Guided by Voices’ ridiculous prolific nature is legendary by now, with three records of around twenty songs in 2012 after the reunion of the ‘classic line-up’. Yet that all started to have diminishing returns, with 2013 ‘only’ seeing one album, the spent English Little League (QRO review), and drummer Kevin Farnell fired by singer/frontman Robert Pollard (who’s also managed to wedge in his own solo releases to boot – QRO album review). There were even rumors Pollard was going to break the whole thing up again, but the band has returned with Motivational Jumpsuit, a largely forgettable return to form.

There’s nothing wrong with Motivational Jumpsuit, in and of itself: the twenty tracks averaging under two minutes each, the lo-fi production values, being the 20th album the band has produced.  It’s just that we’ve all been here before, a lot.  Even the neo-Beatles psych of guitarist Tobin Sprout’s pieces was the highlight of the last record.

If Motivational Jumpsuit gets the Guided by Voices ball rolling again, motivates a jump-start, then it’s done a good job with that.  And if it’s the first record you hear of the band, then by all means let it lead you into their world.  But don’t expect it to stand out amid their monumentally large discography.

Categories
Album Reviews
Album of the Week