I do think that From A Compound Eye is his best overall album. His songwriting and lyrics on that album are really advanced. As some other people have mentioned, there is a lot on that album so it takes a real commitment to really digest everything (especially since most of the songs don't really have big choruses or repeated verse melodies).
I think I agree with that. It took me months to be able to listen to the whole thing without wanting to turn it off, but now that I'm there, it's easily his most cohesive set of songs. I think that has a lot to do with what (I assume) was the approach toward making the album, taking elements from other songs and fashioning another sound out of it. Like, "50-Year-Old Baby" is basically "Field Jacket Blues" plus "Kensington Cradle". "Cock of the Rainbow" is "Flowering Orphan" plus "Fresh Threats, Salad Shooters and Zip Guns". "Love is Stronger Than Witchcraft" is "US Mustard Company" plus "The Numbered Head", and so on.
Plus, his singing is so on point on that record. I know polish has never been Mr. Pollard's strong suit, but ever since
FACE was released, it's like he's making a deliberate effort to put some of his most half-assed vocal performances on record. I'm looking at you, "Serious Bird Woman (You Turn Me On)"! And I don't like that cartoony "deep" voice he uses on songs like "The Blondes" and "Still in Rome" AT ALL.