In troubled times, we turn to the familiar—cherished friends, comfort foods and personal pop culture pillars. I never have to dig back far for sublime sounds from my go-to rock band, Guided By Voices, a big reason it’s my go-to rock band. Leader Robert Pollard’s songwriting never stops, and while the quantity’s impressive, the consistent quality outshines it. Last month’s Surrender Your Poppy Field ranks at the very top of the recent heap.

Like many Pollard leadoff tracks through the years, “Year of the Hard Hitter” grips the sonic wheel and begins steering—in this case all over the road. The record’s longest cut (4:02) plays like a suite of mini-songs blended seamlessly and building to dramatic effect. Also notable right away: Travis Harrison’s production, which recalls both the band’s lo-fi origins (“Whoa Nelly”) and the weirdness of Pollard’s Circus Devils ( “Arthur Has Business Elsewhere”), while coming off entirely fresh.

Still, it’s Pollard’s preternatural ability to bounce around the pop/rock spectrum—from gorgeous slow jam “Andre the Hawk” to twisted misfit “Stone Cold Moron” to erupting party starter “Cul-De-Sac Kids”—that makes Poppy Field a real contender for GBV’s upper upper pantheon.