Circus Devils

Circus Devils

Ataxia

[3.5/5]

Inhabiting the post-punk/experimental segment of his ever expanding musical psyche, Robert Pollard continues his collaboration with Tim and Todd Tobias in one of his longest-lived side projects, Circus Devils. The band’s sixth release (and Pollard’s fifth LP this year), Ataxia, demonstrates more focus and precision than the name or prior albums would suggest. Perhaps they burned through their most outlandish musical ideas with last year’s 32-song set, Sgt. Disco; from the jagged churn of “Backwash Television” to the piston-pounding “The Girls Will Make It Happen” and the distorted riffage of “Rat Face Ballerina,” the attack is relatively straightforward, with few of the runaway freakouts that dotted the last release. Appreciation greatly depends on one’s attitude toward the beefy, early-’90s guitar angularity that dominates, because Pollard’s lyrical forays resonate on only a handful of tracks, like the impulsive “Get Me Extra!” or the slow-burn beatnik rap “Stars, Stripes And Crack Pipes.” (HAPPY JACK ROCK) Chris Parker

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