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Music reviews |
Doug Gillard - Salamander
A first-rate collection of lyrical, tuneful guitar pop from the Guided By Voices alumnus.
Pink Frost
Release date: 10/19/04
Rating: B+1. Valpolicella 2:40
2. Wait for You 4:04
3. Going Back (To You) 4:32
4. Present 4:04
5. Momma 4:21
6. Me & The Wind 3:11
7. Give Me Something 3:12
8. Blockout 3:21
9. Symbols, Signs 2:42
10. Landmarks (In My Mind) 3:17
11. Fate, Say It Again 4:25
12. Drip-Nose Boy 1:48
13. The Cape and Bay 3:25
14. (But) I See Something 4:06
If you've heard of him at all, you've known Doug Gillard to be the lead guitarist of Ohio's Guided By Voices, one of the best American bands of the past twenty years (though Gillard was in the band only for the last eight or so of those years). He wrote GBV favorite "I Am a Tree" and shared the bill with GBV's lead singer-songwriter, Robert Pollard, on a great side project (1999's Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department). But Gillard has spent very little time in a spotlight that has usually shone on Pollard, the incredibly prolific, hard-drinking former schoolteacher who decided to break up the band in 2004.
It would have been reasonable not to expect too much from a sidekick. But Salamander is unreasonably good. Doug Gillard has not only stepped out from behind Robert Pollard, he has produced a record even better than GBV's swan song, last year's good-but-not-great Half Smiles of the Decomposed. The first album on Pink Frost records, a label launched by Jack Rabid, who publishes the indispensable zine The Big Takeover, Salamander overflows with sophistication, melodic brilliance and skillful songwriting.
The sound is affable midtempo guitar pop - nothing you've never heard before, a bit retro in fact. Gillard gleefully updates the baroque-yet-restrained, lyrical, tuneful pop that George Harrison, the Kinks, the Left Banke, the Small Faces and others were putting out circa 1969-1971. Lots of acoustic guitar, self-harmony (in which Gillard layers his limited but distinctive voice), occasional strings and flourishes. Gillard plays most instruments on the album.
Salamander's 49-minute running time takes you through 14 songs, most of which are terrific. The few that aren't, however, really do drag the album down; at ten songs and perhaps 35 minutes, Salamander would probably be even better. That's about the only criticism of the record I can come up with, though.
Gillard doesn't play hard to get; he opens Salamander with one of the best and catchiest tracks, "Valpolicella," a paean to cheap wine featuring rapidly strummed acoustic guitar (think Sugar-era Bob Mould) and "la-la" backing vocals. It doesn't sound at all like a Guided By Voices song.
Though it strays perhaps too far into well-worn Frampton/Fleetwood Mac territory, "Wait for You" is redeemed by Gillard's guitar. The same can be said of "Going Back (To You)," another highlight (though the chorus challenges Gillard's voice), especially the fully instrumental final minute.
"Present" makes great use of harmony and more acoustic guitar (complete with that Elliott Smith fingers-on-frets squeaking noise). It's followed by "Momma," a forgettable ballad that never seems to get going. Better to skip it and go to the British Invasion sound of "Me and the Wind," which picks up the pace with pounding drum, electric guitar, and an irresistible series of "do-do-dos" on the fadeout.
The guitars stay plugged in on "Give Me Something," which could pass for a pretty good GBV song. "Blockout" sounds like GBV in its less-inspired moments (actually, it sounds a bit like the dirge-y "Bright Paper Werewolves" from Under the Bushes, Under the Stars).
The next few tracks are absolutely fantastic. "Symbols, Signs" is 2:40 of driving guitar, punchy lyrics, and verses with no discernible chorus. "Landmarks (In My Mind)" is clearly Salamander's entry in the "hit single in the alternate universe where this stuff gets played on commercial radio" category - gorgeous guitar, confident vocals, shifting tempos combining for a perfect pop song.
"Fate, Say It Again" recalls Ray Davies and Guided By Voices all at the same time; though the chorus wears out its welcome after a few plays, the song is an excellent showcase for Gillard's guitar, again letting him play without vocals for a last minute along the lines of the Pixies' classic "No. 13 Baby."
"Drip-Nose Boy," clocking in at an Alien Lanes-length 1:48, must have been written for Pollard. It's followed by "The Cape and Bay," an ambitious ballad that draws you in with layers of acoustic guitar but loses you with cloying vocals.
The closer, "(But) I See Something," is a decent sixties-retro love song unfortunately marred by a grating "Walk Away Renee" string part. It's one of the very few songs on Salamander that are OK but don't quite work. Skip it, start over with "Valpolicella," and consider how fortunate you are that you managed to stumble upon Doug Gillard's work.
