| SPLENDID
> REVIEWS > 10/14/2004
(http://www.splendidezine.com/review.html?reviewid=1096624475117924)
Doug Gillard
Salamander
Pink Frost
Format Reviewed: CD
Soundclip: "Valpolicella"
When people
tell us "Don't quit your day job," it's usually because
we suck at the avocation at hand -- or because the person doing
the telling is secretly jealous of our abilities and wants to spoil
our hopes. Neither option applies in Doug Gillard's case. Although
his solo debut is a gorgeous pop excursion, his day job as Guided
by Voices' resident guitar wizard is, for the time being, a more
lucrative outing. People tend to overlook the fact that Gillard
wrote all-time GBV favorite "I am a Tree" and co-penned
the oft requested "Pop Zeus" and "Do Something Real"
-- so in a sane world, his pop songwriting chops would never come
into question
Wisely, Gillard has chosen a different trajectory for Salamander
than he followed as a member of GBV or even during his days with
Cobra Verde and Death of Samantha. He mostly eschews atom-bomb riffs
and a glamtastic sneer in favor of classic Kinks-style pop, adorned
with winning melodies and simple guitar tacets. There are strains
of latter-day GBV throughout the disc, but that's only natural given
Gillard's increased role in the indie legends' recent output. While
it's not exactly fair to judge him or his work against his previous
work, it's going to happen, and thankfully, tracks like "Valpolicella"
and "Give Me Something" hold up well against anything
in his vast and variety canon. In terms of stylish grace and off-the-cuff
cool, they actually surpass a lot of it.
Gillard's days as a sideman are quickly coming to an end, but it's
evident from Salamander's tone and sophistication that he's ready
for a spotlight of his very own.
-- Jason Jackowiak
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