The Crawling Distance

For an extraordinarily creative and prolific artist, 2008 has been a particularly extraordinary, creative, and prolific year for Robert Pollard. Hot on the heels of two terrific new albums, a stunning 140-page, full-color book of his collage art, great reviews, features in Vice, Flaunt, SPIN, and Entertainment Weekly, the launch of his own label, and his first live tour in two years, the man is on a roll. From the stately Krautrock chug of the album opener, "Faking My Harlequin," to the schizo-frenetic closing track, "Too Much Fun," with its structural U-turns piled on top of tempo shifts, The Crawling Distance is unlike any Pollard release yet. Comprised of ten tracks, most clocking in at three to four minutes and beyond, the album includes highlights like the gorgeous "It's Easy," a rare Pollard ballad (albeit a ballad with creepy, oddball imagery) and "The Butler Stands For All Of Us," a subtle, melancholy song that ranks among Pollard's best ever.