Please Be Honest
by Guided by Voices
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. The A.V. Club
    Apr 22, 2016
    83
    While Please Be Honest can’t quite rank with the best of Guided By Voice’s output, it’s a solid, rewarding record that more than lives up to the band’s namesake.
  2. Exclaim
    Apr 21, 2016
    80
    Much of Please Be Honest is filled with mid-tempo material, but unlike his recent work, Pollard seems obsessed with guitar textures and vocal effects here, making Please Be Honest an intriguing success.
  3. Magnet
    Aug 2, 2016
    75
    If a smokestack tenor spewing a cloud of menagerie is your kind of daydream, the faulty superhero came through once again. [No. 132, p.51]
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  5. AllMusic
    Apr 21, 2016
    70
    As a celebration of GbV's core virtues, Please Be Honest really does honor the sound of the band as much as the skills of its frontman and founder.
  6. Austin Chronicle
    Nov 3, 2016
    67
    If fans approach this idiosyncratic half-hour listen like a Pollard solo work rather than band output, it assimilates a slightly disjointed but fascinating character study.
  7. Pretty Much Amazing
    Apr 21, 2016
    67
    The songs on Please Be Honest are in keeping with the constant state of evolution and experimentation of most GBV albums. Which is to say, the songs are hit or miss.

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User Score
4.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 6
  3. Negative: 2 out of 6
  1. Oscar-1823
    Apr 6, 2018
    5
    Please Be honest is a highly experimental project of Pollard's, having been written and performed instrumentally completely by himself. AsPlease Be honest is a highly experimental project of Pollard's, having been written and performed instrumentally completely by himself. As such, this album can't really be considered a proper GBV album, and would be more appropriately released as a solo record. Additionally, the vast majority of the tracks on this album are complete throw aways, with perhaps the exception of kid on a ladder, My Zodiac Companion, I Think a Telescope and Hotel X. This album is largely not worth getting, unless you are an enthusiast in Pollard's alternative releases under his solo career or his other bands such as circus devils.… Full Review »
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