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Hey, it's another Robert Pollard record. Today must be a day. We can't even joke about how prolific this guy is because we've heard 'em all a million billion times already. This is the second album under the Lifeguards moniker from the former Guided by Voices frontman - another prick for the weary ears of the Pollard faithful. Lifeguards reunite Pollard with Doug Gillard, the former Death of Samantha guitarist who was Pollard's main foil during GbV's second half, and with whom Pollard made the excellent Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department album way back in pre-post-racial America. It's been 12 years and dozens of records, but that's still Pollard's best non-GbV album. Waving at the Astronauts, by contrast, shares the problems that have plagued much of his recent work. There are legit hooks and pleasant melodies here, but nothing that will monopolize your mind. Those moments are surrounded by dull, perfunctory riffing tinged with a hint of Pollard's proggier inclinations. A couple of gems here will pop up on your obsessive friend's next Pollard mix (probably "They Called Him So Much" and "Sexless Auto"). The rest won't make an impression.
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