Guided by Voices released three albums in 2020 and now they’ve announced their first for 2021. Earth Man Blues is GBV’s 33rd album and will be out April 30 via Rockathon Records.

The album collects songs from the last decade of Guided by Voices that were not used on previous albums. “I was blown away that I had discarded them,” Robert Pollard told Rolling Stone. “Anyway, I combined some of them and created new arrangements. Others I just left the way they were.”

Pollard says he tied the songs together thematically and that the finished product reminded him of a musical stage production, adding names and places — the album cover reads “Guided by Voices in a John H Morrison Musical Production of Earth Man Blues” in reference to the elementary school he attended.

The first single is “Free Agents” and we agree with Bob, it’s hard to believe he discarded this one. It is mega-catchy and you can listen below.

While this is GBV’s first record of 2021 it is not Pollard’s, he released an EP in January under the name Cub Scout Bowling Pins.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/guided-by-voices-earthman-blues-1131256/