| Strut of Kings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 28, 2024 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:39 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Guided by Voices chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Strut of Kings | ||||
To tell you the truth, I like unfocused albums, but this one seems more focused. The structures are more cohesive. It also has a nice balance of the genres in rock that I like. Some nice power pop songs but also some fairly crazy stuff. A good balance, emotionally, of heavy and light.
—Vocalist and songwriter Robert Pollard on how Strut of Kings fits into Guided by Voices' catalog. [1]
Strut of Kings is the fortieth studio album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices, released on June 28, 2024, through Rockathon Records and their own Guided by Voices, Inc. label. It has received positive reviews from critics and was preceded by the singles "Serene King" and "Cavemen Running Naked".
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100 [3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   
[4] |
| Exclaim! | 6/10 [5] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Strut of Kings received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 from four critic scores. [3] Editors at AllMusic rated this album 3.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Mark Deming writing that the songwriting displays Robert Pollard's interest in progressive rock "with stately melodies, big guitars, arrangements that make the most of dynamics, and drumming that milks the drama for all its worth". [4] At BrooklynVegan, Bill Pearis stated that this album continues the band's hot streak since reforming in 2017 and that this album has "indie rock earworms" and "gloriously titled fist-pumpers". [6] Exclaim!'s Daniel Sylvester scored Strut of Kings a 6 out of 10, critiquing that songs are stretched too thin with filler, but continued that "the core of many of these numbers are incredibly strong and tight". [5]
Track listing
- "Show Me the Castle" – 4:25
- "Dear Onion" – 1:47
- "This Will Go On" – 2:09
- "Fictional Environment Dream" – 3:55
- "Olympus Cock in Radiana" – 2:50
- "Leaving Umbrella" – 3:36
- "Cavemen Running Naked" – 2:22
- "Timing Voice" – 3:32
- "Bit of a Crunch" – 4:42
- "Serene King" – 3:14
- "Bicycle Garden" – 3:07
Personnel
Guided by Voices
- Bobby Bare Jr. – guitar
- Doug Gillard – guitar, string arrangement
- Kevin March – drums
- Robert Pollard – lead vocals, guitar, cover art, layout
- Mark Shue – bass guitar
Additional personnel
- Travis Harrison – production
- Ray Ketchem – drum recording
- Joe Patterson – layout
- Vince Williams – art direction
- Sarah Zade-Pollard – art direction
See also
References
- ^ a b DeVille, Chris (April 16, 2024). "Robert Pollard Told Us About Strut of Kings, The Only New Guided by Voices Album of 2024". New Music. Stereogum. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ Rettig, James (May 15, 2024). "Guided by Voices – "Cavemen Running Naked"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Strut of Kings by Guided by Voices Reviews and Tracks – Metacritic". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. n.d. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Deming, Mark (n.d.). "Strut of Kings – Guided by Voices". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Sylvester, Daniel (June 27, 2024). "Guided by Voices' 'Strut of Kings' Is a Little Wobbly". Exclaim!. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ Pearis, Bill (June 28, 2024). "Album reviews: Folk Implosion, Guided by Voices, Loma, Redd Kross, more". Indie Basement. BrooklynVegan. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
External links
- Strut of Kings at Discogs (list of releases)
- Strut of Kings at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
| Strut of Kings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 28, 2024 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:39 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Guided by Voices chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Strut of Kings | ||||
To tell you the truth, I like unfocused albums, but this one seems more focused. The structures are more cohesive. It also has a nice balance of the genres in rock that I like. Some nice power pop songs but also some fairly crazy stuff. A good balance, emotionally, of heavy and light.
—Vocalist and songwriter Robert Pollard on how Strut of Kings fits into Guided by Voices' catalog. [1]
Strut of Kings is the fortieth studio album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices, released on June 28, 2024, through Rockathon Records and their own Guided by Voices, Inc. label. It has received positive reviews from critics and was preceded by the singles "Serene King" and "Cavemen Running Naked".
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100 [3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |
[4] |
| Exclaim! | 6/10 [5] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Strut of Kings received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 from four critic scores. [3] Editors at AllMusic rated this album 3.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Mark Deming writing that the songwriting displays Robert Pollard's interest in progressive rock "with stately melodies, big guitars, arrangements that make the most of dynamics, and drumming that milks the drama for all its worth". [4] At BrooklynVegan, Bill Pearis stated that this album continues the band's hot streak since reforming in 2017 and that this album has "indie rock earworms" and "gloriously titled fist-pumpers". [6] Exclaim!'s Daniel Sylvester scored Strut of Kings a 6 out of 10, critiquing that songs are stretched too thin with filler, but continued that "the core of many of these numbers are incredibly strong and tight". [5]
Track listing
- "Show Me the Castle" – 4:25
- "Dear Onion" – 1:47
- "This Will Go On" – 2:09
- "Fictional Environment Dream" – 3:55
- "Olympus Cock in Radiana" – 2:50
- "Leaving Umbrella" – 3:36
- "Cavemen Running Naked" – 2:22
- "Timing Voice" – 3:32
- "Bit of a Crunch" – 4:42
- "Serene King" – 3:14
- "Bicycle Garden" – 3:07
Personnel
Guided by Voices
- Bobby Bare Jr. – guitar
- Doug Gillard – guitar, string arrangement
- Kevin March – drums
- Robert Pollard – lead vocals, guitar, cover art, layout
- Mark Shue – bass guitar
Additional personnel
- Travis Harrison – production
- Ray Ketchem – drum recording
- Joe Patterson – layout
- Vince Williams – art direction
- Sarah Zade-Pollard – art direction
See also
References
- ^ a b DeVille, Chris (April 16, 2024). "Robert Pollard Told Us About Strut of Kings, The Only New Guided by Voices Album of 2024". New Music. Stereogum. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ Rettig, James (May 15, 2024). "Guided by Voices – "Cavemen Running Naked"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Strut of Kings by Guided by Voices Reviews and Tracks – Metacritic". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. n.d. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Deming, Mark (n.d.). "Strut of Kings – Guided by Voices". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Sylvester, Daniel (June 27, 2024). "Guided by Voices' 'Strut of Kings' Is a Little Wobbly". Exclaim!. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ Pearis, Bill (June 28, 2024). "Album reviews: Folk Implosion, Guided by Voices, Loma, Redd Kross, more". Indie Basement. BrooklynVegan. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
External links
- Strut of Kings at Discogs (list of releases)
- Strut of Kings at MusicBrainz (list of releases)