Northeast Performer Reviews Do I Love America
Northeast Performer, November 1999
Reviews: Nico
If Baby Ray does indeed equal XTC + GBV, then the result of the equation is greater than the sum of its parts. Unlike Guided by Voices' tin-box production, which often requires aural squinting in order to actually "get" the songs, the seven tracks on Do I Love America effortlessly yeild their stunning melodies. And unlike XTC, Baby Ray is smart enough to occasionally leave its outrageous IQ in the closet and play in 4/4.
Check out "Wisdom of the Boondocks," the EP's undeniable single, whos Weezeresque chorus easily makes one forget that the song has no verse. Listen to the anagramatic, enigmatic "Olive Novel Love" for time-signature tags that sound so organic as to be nearly unnoticeable. The no less cryptic "Gossamer Riddle" spins a resplendent vocal line that steadily makes its way to the dark, half-time bridge, where Erich Groat's vocal octabes sensually build to the song's final verse.
Indeed "Gossamer Riddle" might be a more apt title for an EP which captures and leads the listener through these seven vignettes of pop reverie and rock glory; in spite of the scholarly songwriting, in spite of the lyrical and musical acrobatics, Do I Love America is ultimately loved by the heart, not the mind.