15. Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia (1989)

The band’s third album, Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia, is the first to really sound like a Guided By Voices record. I know that’s a ridiculous thing to say because GBV has gone through so many lineups and styles over its three-decade existence. But this was the first time the band possessed a truly unique voice, instead of merely attempting to capture the sounds of their favorite albums. On opener “The Future Is In Eggs,” Pollard discovers his penchant for theatrics, something he probably learned from listening to Who records, not performing in school plays (in high school, Pollard was more likely to be found on the football field). The band also began experimenting with song structures on songs like “Paper Girl,” which turns on a dime from skronky in-the-red punk to trebly acoustic guitar. And to cement the band’s devotion to playfulness and sonic experimentation, they can’t help but fuck up the last and catchiest track on the album, “Radio Song,” by running the tape backwards at the end for no apparent reason. Sure, Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia is a total mess. But it’s their mess.