Boston Spaceships: Our Cubehouse Still Rocks (Guided By Voices Inc.)

Boston Spaceships

Our Cubehouse Still Rocks

Guided By Voices Inc.

Aug 17, 2010 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

With Boston Spaceships, Robert Pollard has found his best band since Guided By Voices. Consisting of Pollard, Chris Slusarenko (Guided By Voices), and John Moen (The Decemberists), Boston Spaceships is releasing its fourth album in just a little over two years, and the band seems to be hitting its stride. All of this is relative of course, because, of the trio, Moen is the only one not to have played with Pollard in some form or fashion before this group; Pollard is not exactly a one-band man. But if we put aside for a moment the fact that Pollard has not simply disbanded one group and formed another—the man writes more prolifically than probably anyone in history and doles out songs to different projects as they dictate—one can almost feel Boston Spaceships congealing as a unit on Our Cubehouse. And that cubehouse certainly does rock.

With Boston Spaceships, Pollard keeps his eccentricities somewhat at bay (talk of "telekinetic newlyweds" and the like notwithstanding), concentrating instead on primal rock and roll, and kicking ass and taking names. Listening to Our Cubehouse, you might forget that Pollard is over 50. The youthful vim and vigor channeled through that oft-referenced Who obsession is palpable. Which is part of the fun with Pollard. He is truly a man for every season. For your straight-ahead rock and roll fix, choose Boston Spaceships. (www.bostonspaceships.com)

Author rating: 6/10

Rate this album
Average reader rating: 9/10