GUIDED BY VOICES / THICK RICH AND DELICIOUS

Classic power pop from the kings of hooks. Cut live and hot to tape with minimal overdubs. Robert Pollard: “I’m a student of hooks. That perfect combination of a lyric and a chord pattern that gives you that chill up the back of your spine.”

Thick Rich and Delicious overflows with hooks. It plays through front-to-back like a power pop classic, but don’t misconstrue pop for soft. The basic tracks were cut live and hot to tape and are presented with minimal overdubs. The band recorded in a Brooklyn studio at extreme volumes, conjuring the spontaneity and electric energy of their legendary live show. Complimenting Pollard’s lead vocals, harmonies are sung by Grammy-nominated Bobby Bare Jr and Pollard (aka “The Self-Righteous Bros”). The sound delivers on the album’s titular promise—thick, rich and delicious.

Pollard combines a new batch of songs with a basket of unrecorded gems dating back to the band’s nascent years. The chorus of “Oxford Talawanda” contains a never-used hook that Pollard has been singing for nearly his entire life.

With Thick Rich and Delicious, you can get that satisfaction.