Have you ever been listening to gilded indie rock gods Guided By Voices and been like, “This is great and all, but I wish it had more noise?” And then you’re like, “Man, why can’t some kind of California experimental group cover these songs and breathe new life into them for the modern era?” And then, with increasingly precise foresight, you say, “I wonder if Felix Skinner and Ignat Frege, as Wreck and Reference specifically, would ever team up to tackle this beloved band’s lo-fi classics.” And then, from the other room, your romantic partner calls, “Who are you talking to, dear?” And you sheepishly reply, “Oh, no one…” because you know, deep down, they would never understand…

If I just described you, then this day belongs to you and you alone, my friend! That’s right: Wreck and Reference have dropped a four-song Guided By Voices tribute called Alien Pains !

For everyone else, though, this whole situation might come as a bit of a surprise, so allow the press release to guide you into an cursory understanding of the sonics at work before you dive head-first into some music you can’t possibly comprehend:

Across four tracks, Alien Pains mutates four GBV classics from blistering lo-fi pop into high-definition, noisy, monstrous tracks. Bob Pollard’s lyrics, meditations on self-doubt, betrayal, and modern aviation find new life in Wreck and Reference’s harrowing vision.

Consider me harrowed!

The album (EP? Mini-album?) is out now on all digital platforms, so grab yours over at Bandcamp. Alternatively, you could always read the tracklisting below for a full overview of which Alien Lanes cuts Wreck and Reference honored and which 24 got shamefully ghosted. “As We Go Up, We Go Down” will never forgive you, Felix and Ignat!

Alien Pains by Wreck and Reference

Alien Pains tracklisting:

01. Always Crush Me

02. Closer You Are

03. Game of Pricks

04. Striped White Jets