Doug Gillard

Call From Restricted

BY Michael EdwardsPublished Sep 4, 2009

It's surprising that Doug Gillard has had any time for his solo projects because of the wealth of bands he's been involved with over the years. Best known for time spent with Guided By Voices, he's also played with Richard Buckner and Cobra Verde, amongst others, with each and every one having an impact on his music. That's likely why Call From Restricted is such a glorious jumble of a record. Gillard jumps around from the fuzzy power pop of "For What I've Done" to the swirling psychedelics of "Entwined" and seems comfortable no matter what. The most surprising song, "Gibraltar," sounds like vintage Buckner, with its finely picked acoustic guitar and romantic lyrics. If anything, Call From Restricted suffers a little from being too ambitious and sprawling. Some songs could easily have a minute shaved from them, and the first half of the record is stacked with far too many of the strongest upbeat moments. But it still makes a very convincing argument for why Gillard needs to be more than just a guitarist in someone else's band.
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