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Surrender Your Poppy Field Tracklisting
Release Date: February 20, 2020
Label: GBV Inc Total Length: 38:44 Read More
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On Thursday February 20th, 2020, Guided By Voices will release Surrender Your Poppy Field via GBV Inc.
These are my impressions of the songs on this album and may or may not reflect the actual meaning intended by the artist.
The record begins with “Year Of The Hard Hitter.” Bob is about to leave the house and he is obviously underdressed. His wife informs him in an exasperated tone: “The high today is 20!” “Okay,” he replies. Busted. Then we hear what sounds like a door closing. It is unclear whether he has come back inside to dress more warmly, or if he has slipped out without heeding her warning.
“Arthur Has Business Elsewhere” could easily be about Arthur Dent, main character of Douglas Adams’ delightful sci-fi/comedic novel series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Since Arthur is the last man left on Earth before its destruction by aliens, it’s obvious he has business elsewhere. Calliope music and rock guitar exist in harmony in the same universe.
“Cul-De-Sac Kids” will lift you right up. It’s a catchy, upbeat, classic GBV tune. Bob sees a group of teenagers cutting class and partying. They remind him of himself… at that age and even now. Having been a teacher as well as a student, he knows how dull school can be and he vows not to rat on them. He will let them have their fun, and he allows us to revel in it with him.
“Cat Beats A Drum” is obviously about Bob’s cats. The sound of their squeaky toy punctuates the song. Somehow, I can picture Doug Gillard there in Bob’s house, both men playing with the felines who lend them inspiration. My favorite lyric: “cold wet grass between my toes / Walt Whitman blows his nose…”
“Stone Cold Moron” brings a taste of metal to the record, with its heavy guitar riffs and crashing cymbals. Bob is no stranger to getting into trouble. We hear him imitating a police officer, possibly alluding to a prior experience: “Sir, put your hands where I can see them and step out of the car,” he says in a mock-stern tone.
“Physician” starts out fast and carries on like a strong current, slows to showcase fantastic choppy guitar riffs, then speeds up a bit as the riffs continue, smoother but equally powerful.
“Whoa Nelly” is Robert Pollard’s own version of the classic folk tune “Danny Boy.” It’s like a lullaby for grown-ups.
“Next Sea Level” is the album’s final track. It begins with a tolling bell. I can’t help but think of the John Donne poem: “…send not to know / For whom the bell tolls, / It tolls for thee.” The doleful sound of the bell combined with a title like “Next Sea Level” makes me a little uneasy at first, as I think of the reality of melting ice caps, “weird weather patterns,” and the ocean’s encroachment on the land. A good reason to believe we might have business elsewhere, much like Arthur. And then the song becomes soothing: “RISING / RISING / RISING / TO HEAR YOU / TO TOUCH YOU / TO KNOW / you’re coming around / still coming around,” and I think of humankind’s incredible ability to adapt and to change. There’s hope for us yet.
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