[4/5] Well, apparently, bailing on Guided By Voices hasn't made him any less prolific; this is Robert Pollard's second solo album of the year. And while the other one (From A Compound Eye) was twice as long, there's certainly no sign of Pollard running low on steam. Much of Normal Happiness combines the effortless charms of classic power-pop with elements of prog as put through the filter of early Genesis or Ween (circa The Mollusk); kind of like that last New Pornographers disc, but better. The proggier stuff is just offbeat enough to keep his indie cred intact, but it's when Pollard turns his full attention to the simple pleasures of a well-placed pop hook ("Rhoda Rhoda"), that this album really hits its stride. (MERGE) Ed Masley
 Official Website: http://www.mergerecords.com
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