Half Smiles of the Decomposed

Since then, like an obsessive I've sought out their huge back catalogue, bought up Bob Pollard's solo work, managed to see them live and been considerably E-bay outbid on rare vinyl ("Propellor") from Bob's personal collection.

This final album is different, more low-key than their last two albums - as if Bob is having second thoughts about breaking up the band (although he is the only common denominator since they started recording). Its more lo-fi than recent releases which I know will please the diehard (mostly American) fans.

Whereas before you would be left with a hook and the feeling that the track had barely half-finished, here are 14 songs which start, middle and end with gorgeous melodies, complex lyrics, intelligence and wisdom but which still remain true to GBV's influences of 60's Brit-pop/ psychaedelia.

It's simplistic to bracket this as "American indie" - but if thats what GBV invented and took to us few lucky people and ended it before too many got the message, then so be it.

If you are one of the many reading this who have not heard GBV before, start with earlier CD's and appreciate (like I did) the natural development of a songwriter who, unusually, deserves the title of "genius".

Half Smiles of the Decomposed is a little more sombre and reflective in mood. It utilizes strings with acoustic guitar (featured in the beautiful ‘Window of my World’ –which acts as GbV’s curtain call, and Girl of Wild Strawberries’ –which highlight Bob’s strength in writing confident and melodic vocal structures.

Half smiles is GbV without the distorted power chords, which in fact follows on well from ‘Earthquake Glue’ which was beginning to cool off from the almightily sound of ‘Universal Truths and Cycles’.

In summary? Well here are 6 of my favourites:

Trk 1- ‘Everyone Thinks I'm A Raincloud (When I'm Not Looking)’ is amazing, it sounds so fresh –GbV had a great line up at this point and the drummer (who’s names escapes me, sorry) finally shines through as he deserved to more on ‘Earthquake glue’. This one is a great tune..

Trk 2 Sleep Over Jack is another highlight. This is one of the weirdest songs GbV ever did in a studio. Uncharacteristic even by Bob’s standards, yet it is brilliant. (Particularly the wailing at the end)

Trk 3 ‘Girls Of Wild Strawberries’ This is a pretty song and it has a great vocal arrangement. The solo is special –very psychedelic.

Trk 5 ‘Window Of My World’ Nice song, perfect for the last album –it’s a different direction for GbV. Rightly described by Bob as Hold on Hope without the obvious embarrassing lyrics. –It’s got a better tune as well.

Trk 12 ‘Second Spurt Of Growth’ Nice acoustic number. This could have fitted nicely on ‘Universal Truths and Cycles’ (which in my opinion was the best post 2000 release by the band –shortly followed by Isolation drills-sorry I’m off the point).

Trk 14 ‘Huffman Prairie Flying Field’ Good end to the album. Very GbV

In summary mk2… (Putting it into the context of the post 1996 studio GbV albums)

Buy it, but buy Universal T and Cycles and Isolation drills, Mag Earwig (and Do the Collapse-which has 6 great songs on it) and Earthquake glue as well. –I say this because on its own, Half smiles does not summarise the ‘studio’ years well. It has a different feel to it than the other ‘low-fi, non studio’ albums. Half Smiles is an album to listen to… not jump about and smash things…Universal Truths and Cycles/Isolation Drills are far more adrenaline fuelled than this matured melodic offering.

I really like this album but it’s fair to say that it’s not their best studio effort, some of the press got over excited and forgot how good some of their previous albums were. Half Smiles of the Decomposed , like just about every post Bee Thousand release, was generally underrated upon its release and under bought. Do something clever with your spare time; buy some GbV albums… and you won’t do any wrong with this one.