{"id":1012,"date":"2016-10-21T13:46:57","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T17:46:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nickzaino.com\/departmentoftangents\/?p=1012"},"modified":"2016-11-08T22:50:57","modified_gmt":"2016-11-09T03:50:57","slug":"new-release-roundup-esp-ohio-savoy-motel-and-rocknroll-hi-fives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nickzaino.com\/departmentoftangents\/2016\/10\/21\/new-release-roundup-esp-ohio-savoy-motel-and-rocknroll-hi-fives\/","title":{"rendered":"New Release Roundup: ESP Ohio, Savoy Motel, and RocknRoll Hi-Fives"},"content":{"rendered":"

MUSIC<\/strong>
\n1. ESP Ohio<\/a> \u2013 Royal Cyclopean<\/em>
\nI wrote a while back that it\u2019s been a great year for music, in terms of quality new albums and acts on the road. If you\u2019re a Guided By Voices fan, you\u2019re having an even better year. There has already been a new GBV album and a Robert Pollard solo offering, and now you have Royal Cyclopean<\/em> from ESP Ohio, the new band from Doug Gillard, who has rejoined GBV in time for the next tour, and Pollard. A trick of the shuffle \u2013 when I first listened to the album on a drive, my iPod shuffled the order around, kicking off with \u201cSleeping Through The Noise,\u201d the title track, and \u201cTom Tom Small and Wonderful,\u201d and completely changing the color of the album. I thought it was going to sound like demos from Nursery Cryme-era Genesis (prog-haters, relax, there is no harpsicord to be foud). \u201cSleeping\u201d especially has that majestic menace of Gabriel-era Genesis. The songs soon opened up into something more stylistically varied. \u201cMiss Hospital \u201893\u201d is jangly, uplifting pop with jaunty horns. I honestly don\u2019t have a handle on the story yet, but I enjoy what it evokes \u2013 a sense of the realization of well-being. \u201cA Much Needed Shot In the Arm\u201d is similarly invigorating, kicking off the album with churning guitars and Pollard singing, \u201cStimulate some fighting side of you\/Pilot lights come on\/No interference opinion or point of view\/Shadow of doubt, be gone.\u201d The strangest tune, at least musically, is \u201cThe Ticket Who Rallied,\u201d with its breakneck tempo changes alternating between Black Sabbath sludge and buoyant pop. Listen to it in its intended order, and it\u2019ll keep you on your toes. It varies its punches, in style, mood, and even song length, and the effect is a wonderful surprise every few minutes.
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