Let's go back to work

Guided by Voices announced the release of “Let’s Go Eat the Factory” toward the end of its recent “classic ’93-’96 lineup” reunion tour, which marked the first activity from Robert Pollard’s iconic, member-rotating indie band since 2004.
 
This announcement, as the blogosphere assured, was a big deal — a big deal to fans of the band, to fans of the 1990s, to everyone, seemingly, except Pollard himself.

Pollard downplayed the buzz behind “Factory” in a number of ways — first, in October, by abruptly releasing stale lead single “The Unsinkable Fats Domino,” the first original GBV song from that lineup in 15 years.

Then came the announcement of a second, post-reunion album already scheduled for release in May, hardly giving “Factory” time to resonate. But the biggest impact softener is the actual tracks on “Factory,” which send a clear message that despite the album’s noteworthy circumstances, it remains, essentially, just another Robert Pollard album (his 34th in 24 years between Guided by Voices and solo efforts).

“Factory” possesses all the standard Pollard-ness that his devotees should expect; most of the 21 tracks lie between 30 seconds and two minutes and abound with classic rock melodies, unabashedly drunken nonsense (“Laundry and Lasers,” “Doughnut for a Snowman”) and guitar on guitar on fuzzy, distorted guitar.

What is missing here, though, is a single hook that can stand up to the best of almost any album from Guided by Voices’ catalogue — either from way back, like its 1994 lo-fi landmark “Bee Thousand,” or toward the end of its first run, like the outstanding, more refined “Earthquake Glue” in 2003.

“Waves” nails the tonal melancholy that partially defined its sound throughout that time, but most of the remaining songs would simply be B sides for any of GBV’s contemporaries.

It sounds very possible that Pollard withheld his band’s best ideas since reuniting for its second “sophomore” effort, the upcoming “Class Clown Spots a UFO,” in which case we won’t have to wait long.