There's some interesting little experiments here, such as "A
Crick Uphill," a number that almost verges into GBV's own take on
country folk pop. With sweet vocals, a bass-driven melody and
contagiously bright rhythm guitar, it's reminiscent of the Beatles'
flirtations with the old-time Nashville pop on Help and Rubber
Soul_" Then there's "Avalanche Aminos," the only co-written song
(with Doug Gillard), which is based on electric guitar riff arpeggios
that so stubbornly go nowhere for half the song. It actually works
in a strange way, creating an unexpectedly satisfying tension. And
besides, like any good GBV song, just as you start getting fed up
with it, it's over. "Interest Position," with its fuzz tones and
relentless rolling toms is closer to "Do The Collapse," territory.
It's very respectably catchy and upbeat and eminently listenable.
Unfortunately, "Fly Into Ashes," doesn't fare quite as well,
feeling a little bit soulless as it slogs through verse, verse,
chorus instrumental, reprise, etc. etc. Still, impossibly obscure
lyrics such as "artificial study guides will help you when you're
ready boy" hold one's interest even through the slower moments.
Ditto for "Idiot Princess," which is really way better than so much
pop crap out there, yet in context, sounds like it wasn't quite
compelling enough for Ocasek's unstoppable pop juggernaut.
Perhaps this is also what happened to "Do the Collapse," an
instrumental track included on this EP but not on Sounding like a
band that just finished setting up its instruments and meandering
into an impromptu sound check, based on power chorsds that nobody
can seem to do anything with until they just quit sheepishly.
There is one surprise nugget for the old stalwarts though.
"Tropical Robots," is quiet, acoustic, extremely sad and pretty and
like old-school GBV, it's over too damn quickly, just as it's
getting good . It sounds like something from three albums back.
And it reminds me anew why I had no problem when Do the Collapse
came out last year and even cherished it. It meant Bob Pollard's
beautiful pop songs got to stay around that much longer.
