Is it just me, or do the opening guitars on Guided By Voices‘ latest single, “I Will Be a Monk”, sound like they could hang comfortable on Cocteau Twins’ Heaven or Las Vegas or Psychocandy by The Jesus and Mary Chain? But this is still Pollard & Co.’s show, and the track is kissed by their lo-fi aesthetics, jangling guitars drifting along in the cool release of early evening before riling themselves up for some late night partying. This transition from lighter fretwork to something more muscular has been a staple of the band for decades now, and they’re not going to change now. Why should they? They know their fanbase well enough at this point and will continue to mine these DIY sounds for as long as they can make music. There’s something reassuring in their consistency. Scruffy indie rock will never go out of fashion, and Guided By Voices are here to remind us of its enduring viability.
Listen to “I Will Be a Monk” below.
Universe Room is due out Feb 7 via GBV Inc. You can pre-order the album here. Follow the band on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
