English Little League

by Guided by Voices

Overview

English Little League is the fourth album by the reunited mid-'90s Guided by Voices lineup in a little under a year and there are times when Robert Pollard whips out a classic tune and the band starts firing on all four, and it sounds like an older, but still rambunctious, version of the classic band. The shorter, faster Pollard tunes like the rumbling "Crybaby 4 Star Hotel" sound the best, though some of the proggy heavy rockers sound fine too. The real bright spots on the album are the Tobin Sprout songs. He gets three solo songs and one co-write with Pollard, and they are the brightest, most straightforward songs on the album -- "Islands" is even the best song here. While GbV are clearly Pollard's show and his aesthetic rightfully guides their way, Sprout is doing better work now and it might make sense to showcase his work more on their next record. Which will follow this one in a couple months, no doubt. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	04/30/2013
Label:	Guided By Voices, Inc.
UPC:	0655035083421
Rank:	127708

Tracks

1. Xeno Pariah
2. Know Me as Heavy
3. Island (She Talks in Rainbows)
4. Trash Can Full of Nails
5. Send to Celeste (And the Cosmic Athletes)
6. The Quiet Game
7. Noble Insect
8. Sir Garlic Breath
9. Crybaby 4 Star Hotel
10. Biographer Seahorse
11. Flunky Minnows
12. Birds
13. The Sudden Death of Epstein's Ways
14. Reflections in a Metal Whistle
15. Taciturn Caves
16. A Burning Glass
17. With Glass in Foot

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Guided by Voices   Primary Artist
Robert Pollard   Vocals (Background)
Tobin Sprout   Vocals (Background)
Mitch Mitchell   Vocals (Background)
Kevin Fennell   Vocals (Background)
Greg Demos   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

John Shough   Vocal Engineer,Engineer
Carl Saff   Mastering
Tobin Sprout   Composer,Engineer,Instrumentation
Joe Patterson   Engineer
Skywalker   Assistant Engineer
Greg Demos   Composer
Robert Pollard   Composer,Engineer