#22

Robert Pollard
From a Compound Eye
(Merge)

Viewed through the lens of Bobby Pollard’s discography, FaCE must seem like it came out 20 years ago. He’s pretty much put out about 6 or 7 albums since this was released about a year ago in January of 2006, but you’d probably be hard pressed to find a better power-pop release in that time. Pollard’s Who affectations are on full display along with an incredible knack for the pacing of an album. Often times, a Guided By Voices or Pollard record just seems like a 16+ songs threaded together for an “album”. Here we finally get a glance back to the good old days of the double album – 2 records, 4 sides, hard rockers and ballads. Viewed as such, this is a paramount record – windmill guitars, verbose lyrics, and a much too short 75-minute playtime.