So many music artists today seem to aim at creating a sound that can be played on popular radio stations. Although these tunes are catchy and we often catch ourselves singing the lyrics in our heads, there seems to just be a consistency, a derivative sameness, in what we are delivered.
Robert Pollard Keeps Classic Rock Alive
It is a rarity to be an artist that strays away from the norm, delivering a sound that will capture attention and continue to do so for years. Robert Pollard is that type of artist. With his 24th solo album, Of Course You Are, Pollard brings us a sound that could be considered a blast from the past. Throughout the new album, which dropped on March 4, Pollard brings us on a trip through the decades.
The track titled “I Can Illustrate” is simple enough that it doesn’t require any autotune or computerized sounds to capture your attention. The guitar sequence from the 2:05 mark to 2:28 is everything that rock and roll was intended to be. Raw, impressive, and something that you can slide through your living room playing air guitar to in your underwear.
My personal favorite from Pollard’s new album, “Losing It,” delivers a very melancholic beginning with a psychedelic guitar sequence running faintly in the background. The very consistent tempo of the tune makes it easy to appreciate it in it’s entirety. The tone of Pollard’s voice in this track differs from the others, as he delivers a very somber sounding performance and ends off the song with a bit of backwards singing (which I’ll admit always freaks me out).
The entire track is one that leaves an impression in your mind for quite some time after hearing it, and instantly has an effect on your mood. You can feel the raw emotion of the song and the pure emotion in Pollard’s voice, making this one of the most powerful songs on the album.
“The Hand That Holds You” is the seventh track on the album and gives you more of a ’90s grunge feeling. But it also keeps a very classic tempo, a sound like that of The Doors circa the early 1970s.
Robert Pollard is not an artist that needs to change his style to keep up with the times — he has made his own name with his classic style and a perfect blend of ripping guitar and classic drums.
You can listen to the album in full on AVClub.
