Thick Rich and Delicious (2025)

 Thick Rich and Delicious 

(2025, Guided by Voices Inc.) 

In the press blurb for this record, Pollard describes himself as a "student of hooks," always in pursuit of "that perfect combination of a lyric and a chord pattern that gives you that chill up the back of your spine." It's as if this very byline was scrolled on a chalkboard as Pollard hammered out the demos. 

After bowing out gracefully from playing live in late 2024, Guided by Voices was back with their 2nd LP of 2025 after a mild panic. Brief rumors of another GBV breakup were quickly quelled with the announcement of a new record on Bob's Birthday: Halloween. 

The record is the first since Welshpool Frillies to get the band back together live in studio. Somewhat shockingly upon liner note inspection, absent in the guitar mix is Bobby Bare Jr., with only Gillard, March, and Shue handling the basic tracks. Instead, Bare shows up in vocal only support department, doubling Bob through a good chunk of the record from what I can tell (or hope is true). Together, there's moments of unabashed triumph, melancholy, and downright angelic harmonies coming out of the vocal department. 

Whether the title came before or after, it is a true embodiment of the entire spirit of the record without much hyperbole. Travis Harrison, always bringing quality while sometimes changing things up, somehow elevates an already exalted game. 

SIDE A:

Babies and Gentlemen- 4 The first of 3 tasty instrumentals on the LP. Perfectly sets the tone for what's to come. Bold comparisons be demand, after a few listens to these layered instrumentals, one starts to pick up on some Smile Brian Wilson vibes with its manic symphonic layering. Whatever manipulations and orchestrations Gillard, Harrison, and crew worked out kicks things off with a statement that's all around catchy, monumental, psychedelic!

(You Can't Go Back) To Oxford Talawanda- 5 A song that feels so effortlessly timeless, so GBV of the past, but incredibly fresh with a string of new melodic melancholic hooks. It's a pop song that feels like the chorus literally bounces from its anthemic simplicity. Lines like "Alice told you it's forever" and "Celebration annual..." add to this song's underlying haunting quality. Nostalgia be damned. 

Phantasmagoric Upstarts- 4 A taut pop song that breathes as it goes along, but is ever begging to explode. And thus it does with the "goddamn-that's-a -great-partness" of  "And you're not real!" declarations from Bob. One where you may hear it and say, "this is good," and then listen again and pull the goddamn car over to the side of the road to maintain composure. Stellar production on this. It sounds massive even before the song flips the switch for massive! 

Lucy's World- 5 Possibly one of Pollard's best penned tunes since "Best of Jill Hives"? Starts off with some spitfire before pulling back into otherworldly sublime pop territory. A song that feels heartbreaking, uplifting, psychedelic all at the same time. The Bobby Bare/Pollard vocal combination on this is a crushing all-timer in the vocal arena of the GBV catalog, and I can't thank this band enough for making this song. Excuse me while I wipe away this tear. 

Our Man Syracuse- 5 Oh damn, what have they gone and done now? Casually dropping this absolute sly banger of a saccharine pop track after the life altering "Lucy's World," that's what. Lazily lumbers along at first before breaking out into those creamy as all hell Bare/Pollard double vocal moments. A song where the verse is on an equal playing field with the chorus for the win. 

Mother John- 3 Pollard lets the freak flag fly on this one, huh? It's not quite the genius of "Razor Bug" but it comes close while also actually being an incredibly cool psych track. Easy reference points be damned, but shades of "Tomorrow Never Knows" levels of hypnotism settle in on repeated listens (also does not sounds like said song). Why we are speaking of genitals in breakfast cereals at this point, I do no know, but I am here for it! 

Dance of the Picnic Ants- 3 With a title referencing the lyrics of "Mother John," we are presented with the second instrumental of the LP. A tribal rock and roll jig of sorts that rules! Feels plucked from the late 60s but amplified through the Gillard/Harrison grinder. 

Xeno Urban- 4  The first that felt like a grower for me on the record, GBV closing out a victory lap of Side A with a more subdued midtempo number. For some reason, feels to like something that might be on a solo Pollard LP. The song is absolutely propelled by the Pollard on acoustic minute long addition to the end. It gives the song its deserved haunting send off. 

SIDE B:

A Tribute To Beatle Bob- 5 Written for/about St. Louis music legend (somewhat controversially from the stories), known as Beatle Bob. In the GBV sphere, he introduced the band on stage at their "final" show on The Electrifying Conclusion tour in 2004. An absolute blast of sun from this one, with a drop of that patented longing and sadness underlying all the great GBV songs. Hook upon hook, finished off with some high flying, unmatched double vocal moments! 

Replay- 4 About as post punk as GBV gets on the record. A percussive, bass warbled song that builds and builds into a near joyous crescendo before falling off. Love the drum break bridge in the middle before the song picks back up with its haphazard guitar solo and eventual momentous finale! 

Siren- 4 A moody rework of the Circus Devils' track off Capsized!. Here the full band treatment fits like a glove. Another one that feels cut from the post punk cloth. Bombastic band work with heavenly Pollard vocals is always the code for Go!

The Lighthouse Resurrection- 5 Holy mother of God! Was not expecting this. When I put it on, the title did not click on a track that my wife and I will randomly sing to each other over the last 20 years. I should have a tattoo that says "Jimmy was a fly" somewhere tasteful at this point.  But nostalgic bias aside, this is absolutely amazing. Maybe it hits harder for the GBV heads hearing it, but the tom heavy first half over the syrupy guitar swirl, anchored by Shue's thundering bass.... and then the vocals. As if the bar hadn't been set high, this might be my favorite pairing on the record. Pollard's never sounded better. It's inspiring, dreamlike at times, and beautiful. Brilliant rework. Cocoon! 

A. Glum Swoboda- 4 A slow grimy building track that is smoothed over by more A+ vocals from Pollard and Bare. Love the backups and all around hooks on this. The moody verses twist along until the song eventually explodes into light with its soaring vocal harmonies that make themselves more known with each listen. One of the more patient tracks on the record, it's one that pays off.

Ozark Ivanhoe- 3 Of the instrumentals, this feels the least fleshed out. Maybe it's the least decorated with cool studio moments like the other 2? It feels like pump-up music, before the final send off. A crucial setup to what I consider possibly the best GBV closing track of any LP. 

Captain Kangaroo Won The War- 5 Incredible barebones, shoegazey opening complete with gorgeous vocals hovering in the mix. Then the band kicks in, and it gets even better. Perfect in its simplicity. Locked in, patiently pushing forward. The "number one" parts knocked me back immediately. Then, to have it all explode into the all too relevant in current times finale; there's sadness in it and also hope, and it kills me this will never be played live because what moment this could have been, Proud Brothers and Sisters.