Psycho And The Birds
All That Is Holy
Fading Captain Series [2006]
All That Is Holy is a lo-fi time capsule that finds Robert Pollard in full throwback mode. Working under the Psycho and the Birds moniker, Pollard laid down all vocals and skeletal melodies on a 4-track tape recorder before handing them off to producer Todd Tobias for layering and expansion. The result is a gritty, compact record that echoes the spirit of early Guided By Voices—full of raw energy, unfinished thoughts, and flashes of melodic brilliance.
The tracks are short and often fragmentary, but that’s part of their charm. Most don’t stretch past the two-minute mark, yet within that span Pollard delivers cryptic one-liners, fuzzy refrains, and enough lo-fi twists to keep you engaged. Songs like “Jesus the Clockwork” and “Late Night Scamerica” thrive on impulse, buzzing with urgency and tape hiss. All That Is Holy isn’t for everyone—it’s purposefully rough and unpolished—but it rewards longtime fans who miss the reckless invention of Pollard’s basement days.
KEY TRACKS
“Jesus the Clockwork” / “Late Night Scamerica” / “Farmer’s Blitz”
ARTISTS WITH SIMILAR FIRE
Early Guided By Voices / Sebadoh / The Amps
A lifelong fan of new music—spent the '90s working in a record store and producing alternative video shows. In the 2000s, that passion shifted online with blogging, diving headfirst into the indie scene and always on the lookout for the next great release. Still here, still listening, and still sharing the best of what’s new.
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
