Esp Ohio

Esp Ohio

Starting Point Of The Royal Cyclopean

GBV Inc

Like a long-lost artifact from some golden age of rock that never existed, ESP Ohio’s debut album grabs the ear-holes and demands immediate and undivided attention. Robert Pollard says it’s a band, rather than a collaboration—a distinction which may seem like splitting hairs, but rather than putting melodies and lyrics on top of other people’s instrumentals, Pollard wrote these songs and sent them off to Brooklyn-based bandmates Doug Gillard, Mark Shue, and Travis Harrison to be fleshed out and then returned to him for vocal recording and mixing in the Buckeye State. Instead of fitting words and melodies around someone else’s musical structure, he created the musical structure to fit his words and melodies. Also, there’s a band photo. It makes a difference—Starting Point harkens back to Isolation Drills-era Guided By Voices, perhaps inevitably because Doug Gillard is playing guitar and contributing arrangements the way he did in that era of GBV, but this debut has its own unique characteristics as well. The result is some of the most joyful noise Pollard has made in recent memory: melodic, playful, upbeat, and … what’s the word… sparkly? Sure—call it sparkle rock—a mix of bold-faced rock with weirdo proggy-psych elements and textures. Pollard won’t say whether this is a one-off or the first of a series, but he’s keeping the door open. Maybe that’s a key to his “process”: always keep the door open. After countless songs, records, bands, line-ups, accolades, bottles of tequila… after everything, the door to the porches of...

Esp Ohio

Lithuanian Bombshells

GBV Inc

Robert Pollard has created another fantastic side project (that doesn't feel like a side project) called ESP Ohio. He has reunited with Guided by Voices guitarist/Lifeguards collaborator Doug Gillard. Travis Harrison (drummer / Lifeguards producer) and Mark Shue (current GBV bassist) provide the powerful rhythm section.   Each single contains two non-LP b-sides

Esp Ohio

Royal Cyclopean

GBV Inc

Robert Pollard has created another fantastic side project (that doesn't feel like a side project) called ESP Ohio. He has reunited with Guided by Voices guitarist/Lifeguards collaborator Doug Gillard. Travis Harrison (drummer / Lifeguards engineer) and Mark Shue (current GBV bassist) provide the powerful rhythm section.   Each single contains two non-LP b-sides