Tremblers and Goggles by Rank is the 36th studio album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices, released on July 1, 2022. It has received positive reviews from critics.[3]
Reception
Tremblers and Goggles by Rank received positive reviews from critics noted at review aggregator Metacritic. It has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on five reviews.[3] Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Mark Deming writing that "Tremblers and Goggles by Rank reflects his desire to move away from the compact pop tunes that dominated lo-fi triumphs like 1994's Bee Thousand and 1995's Alien Lanes in favor of more ambitious structures" and speculates that the band's recent output has made it "possible [that] Guided by Voices have become the best recording act of their day".[4] James McNair of Mojo gave this release 4 out of 5 stars, praising Robert Pollard's songwriting and writing that his "quality control remains excellent".[5] In The Observer, Phil Mongredien rated Tremblers and Goggles by Rank 3 out of 5 stars, writing that this work "is as packed with invention as ever, leaning towards their proggier side" and criticizing some tracks as "not all as good" as the best of the album.[1] Jay Honeycomb of PopMatters sums up his review that "this colorful album is a strong addition to the enigma of Guided by Voices" that "is a smashing and replayable album that only sometimes forgets that people are listening"; he rated it a 7 out of 10.[6] Peter Watts gave this album an 8 out of 10 in Uncut for an "LP full of charm, imagination, and winning tunes".[2]