Ricked Wicky
I Sell the Circus
GBV/FIRE
6/10
For Robert Pollard’s eight-thousandth release—not including EPs and seven-inches, of course—he decided to go electric. No, wait, he crafted a country album? No, wait, he became a born-again Christian and prosthelytized the indie-rock masses with Jesus-loving gospel songs. No, wait…that’s the other Bob. This one, with the Pollard surname, chose to stay the course and release another set of poppy ditties that fall somewhere between trumped-up demos and fully formed compositions, he’s issuing them via his new band, Ricked Wicky. Following Guided by Voices’ second demise last year I Sell the Circus is touted as more musical than his other recent releases, and he’s dubbed this troupe “a sophisticated arena rock band.” But the challenges are few and far between, with stock Pollard tracks like “Uranus Flies” and “Miles of Concentration” proving to be the norm instead of the exception. While nothing on Circus is revolutionary, it sure is entertaining.
