Guided By Voices release new single and announce release date for ‘Universe Room’
Guided By Voices have announced the release date of their new album, Universe Room, alongside a new single, ‘Dawn Believes’.
According to band leader Robert Pollard, ‘Dawn Believes’ showcases the atmosphere of Universe Room with a sound that is easy to revisit, beckoning multiple listens where every aspect of the song becomes clearer. In his view, the different sections will guide the central aspect of its appeal.
“I wanted to create, hopefully, an experience, kind of a wild ride, where the listener would want to hear it multiple times in order to grasp all the sections and fields of sound to discover something new with each listen,” he said. Adding: “I trimmed down the song so that there wasn’t a lot of repetition, so you get a lot of sections that happen only once or twice.”
‘Dawn Believes’ was also enhanced by Doug Gillard, who was assigned to record all the music, adding electric rhythms alongside piano, acoustics, and more sounds to give the track additional layers. “I endeavoured to have the second half build a bit, and it was fun to do, as always,” he said.
This was a major process Pollard adopted for the new album after wanting it to stand out as one with more “sonic diversity.” Explaining this further, he told Rolling Stone that he assigned different tracks to different band members while taking on three himself.
This way, he could explore other sonic territories while spotlighting the tastes and talents of the other band members, providing a more holistic atmosphere that reflected the band as a whole.
Universe Room marks the indie rock veterans’ 41st studio album, following last year’s Strut of Kings, which Far Out described in a four-star review as a significant improvement on their previous effort Nowhere To Go But Up.
“From the onset to the final notes ringing out, Pollard is on fire,” the review read. “His expressive delivery and grasp of potent melody are the tip of the group’s spear, adding another dimension to his surreal poetry, which includes saluting the humble onion and the odd stark political theme.”
The upcoming Universe Room comprises 17 new tracks and will be released on February 7th, starting off the band’s 2025 venture strong after their consistent stream of releases in following years.
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