Crystal Nuns Cathedral by Guided By Voices

All songs written by Robert Pollard, Needmore Songs (BMI) Produced by Travis Harrison GBV: Robert Pollard, Doug Gillard, Bobby Bare Jr., Mark Shue, Kevin March The mighty Guided by Voices are set to unleash upon the world their 35th and quite possibly…BEST album, Crystal Nuns Cathedral . How do they do it you might ask? Well we don’t know how they do it, but we certainly do know WHY they do it. They do it because quite honestly we NEED them to do it. The world needs The Rock, and we need loud guitars, we need anthemic songs, we need a reason to raise a rock fist in the air and give a “Hell Yeah”! On Crystal Nuns Cathedral, the band delivers all of this and so much more. Just four months since It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them!, comes Crystal Nuns Cathedral, twelve songs determined to challenge for the title of greatest Guided by Voices album of all-time. Hyperbole you say? Not this time. The guitars are bigger, the arrangements are more ambitious, the songs are uplifting, epic, and as incredibly hook laden as always! Pure power pop perfection like lead single “Excited Ones” mix perfectly with the slow burning “Climbing a Ramp” which reaches its climax on a stunning guitar lead before dissolving into the fist pumping anthem “Never Mind the List”, which serves as the beating heart of the entire album. Do you still need convincing? Listen to the one-two punch of “Forced to Sea” and “Huddled” and marvel at the epic scope and vision of an incredible band on full display. This record is a statement, a challenge, a monument, a call to arms. Top this one if you can, this is the new benchmark. Who will best it? Who will try? Listen to Crystal Nuns Cathedral, and report back to us. We will be eagerly waiting.

80 ▲

Alien indie rock giants Guided by Voices' tendency toward prolific output became more or less a given after their 2010 reunion.

9 / 10

With 'Crystal Nuns Cathedral', Guided By Voices deliver a compelling statement and a thrilling testimony to the high artistry of Robert Pollard's vision.

82 %

7 / 10