Motivational Jumpsuit

Motivational Jumpsuit

In terms of Guided by Voices albums, of which there are more than many, 2014’s Motivational Jumpsuit is a notable one. It's filled with songs that appear to have made the cut as opposed to just having been written during the time since the last one. Both Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout are writing at the top of their capabilities here, and while “Save the Company” starts with a lo-fi crusty guitar, the supplementary guitars come forward with a meaty bassline to solidify the attack. Sprout’s “Jupiter Spin” captures the beauty of low-key psychedelia. Pollard’s “Littlest League Possible” announces itself with a brash insistence. “Go Without Packing” speaks to the Syd Barrett end of Pollard’s late-'60s troubadour phase. Since the band’s “reunion” in 2010, they’ve been trying to better their ‘90s selves—and the ghost of Bee Thousand, their “breakthrough” record of sorts, has been the measuring stick. Anyone who spends enough time with “Record Level Love,” “I Am Columbus," and “Calling Up Washington” will surely have another key reference album in the band’s overwhelming catalog.

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