Can only go up from here

Few artists in their career can say they aged gracefully. Most often, artists who continued past there commercial periods often put out albums that are too often comfortable with resting on their laurels. The end result can be a mediocre or less than stellar version of a previous outing. Guided By Voices (GBV) is an example of what aging gracefully looks like. Their 38^th album and the third album released this year is a perfect demonstration of how a band can put out a classic sounding album while still creating a fresh and appealing mix to fans new and old. Nowhere to Go but Up right out of the gate lets everyone know that this is a no frills record. While it may not reinvent the wheel for the band, it definitely has its own identity and highlights everything that makes GBV one of the best cult bands still kicking.

Starting off with the first track “The Race is on, The King is Dead” is a fun anthemic power-pop number where the guitars are pounding out major-key tones and an infectious rhythm to boot. While tracks like “Puncher’s Parade” and “Local Master Airplane” are chocked full of distorted guitars and minor-key tones in two varying ways. The former goes in with a slow tempo melancholic atmosphere while the latter has a fast-paced tempo, injecting snappy wordplay callbacks to GBV’s previous songs and sights of the band’s hometown of Dayton, Ohio that encourages repeated listens. Tracks four through six maintain the pace of the album without losing its momentum (a rare feat for bands with long discographies) by adding an intricacy in their lyrics that can only come from someone like Rob Pollard. A thought that can easily be said of Pollard’s other songs on previous albums, but here they are on full display at their very best. The final three tracks are without a doubt some of the best songs in the band’s modern output. Between the three tracks, there is a quality that makes these songs timeless, one might call Neil Youngesque. “For the Home” is a nice chorus-less jangle rock song, while “Cruel for Rats” has driving rock grooves with a little addition of proto-grunge. The last track “Song and Dance” opens up with a slow tempo that builds up and ends with a lively finish.

Among the band’s three album releases this year, this one feels the most concise. This album rewards repeated listens in the intended order. Sounding better than the first play through, each new listen brings the discovery of a new tone, expressing a range of melancholy and excitement. GBV arrive with a renewed energy on Nowhere to Go but Up, with no frills, no disappointment and consistent songwriting. Closing up the year, the album title is well named, as GBV can only go up from here.