After an eight-month lull, Guided by Voices are set to return on Halloween with Thick Rich and Delicious, their second full-length set of songs of 2025. Billed as a combination of new compositions and previously scrapped ideas dating back to the band’s early-’80s origins, the result is highly characteristic of just about any era of the band: brief, scrappy power-pop ballads with strange titles tightly packed into a generous track list.
After introducing the project a few weeks ago with lead single “(You Can’t Go Back To) Oxford Talawanda,” GBV return today with the punchy slow-burn “Phantasmagoric Upstarts”—which aptly teases a “coming attraction” on the rousing chorus. “This album was a blast to record,” shares longtime guitarist Doug Gillard. “It’s the sound of Kevin [March], Mark [Shue], and me in a room—no overdubs until Bob [Pollard] and Bobby [Bare Jr.] recorded the lead and backing vocals, respectively. ‘Phantasmagoric Upstarts’ is a great example of this three-piece approach, with Bob’s incredible lyrics and rangey melody woven throughout.”
Hear for yourself below, and pre-order Thick Rich and Delicious ahead of its October 31 release here.
