Spring Break
Malkmus grows up, stays young
Jon Carrelli
Issue date: 6/3/05 Section: Entertainment
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As I remove the cellophane from the vinyl of Stephen Malkmus' latest Matador release Face the Truth, I am treated to a trusty lyric sheet. Just like past releases with his band Pavement, the lyric sheet features heat-of-the-moment scribbled lyrics and collages of odd cartoons and photographs. Attentive listeners will note discrepancies between the record and Malkmus' lyric transcriptions, but this makes it all the more apparent that this is a product of an extremely creative and evolving artist. The faulty lyric reproductions allow the listener to imagine Malkmus concocting "Face the Truth" in the depths of his studio basement, continually tweaking and balancing each song for maximum catchiness and quirkiness.
Unlike Malkmus' frantic self-titled solo debut or his mechanical sophomore effort Pig Lib, Face the Truth presents the man at his most experimental since Pavement's Wowee Zowee. While I never understood why his first two efforts were so maligned by critics, Face the Truth does benefit by showing all the sides of Malkmus' songwriting personality. His effortless rock tendencies can be heard on such tracks as "Pencil Rot," "No More Shoes," "Malediction," "Post-Paint Boy" and "Baby Come On," while his softer side (now featuring strings!) is displayed in the gorgeous "Freeze the Saints," wistful "Loud Cloud Crowd" and utterly fantastic "It Kills." Furthermore, Malkmus brings out his experimental angle on "I've Hardly Been" and "Kindling for the Master."
All the problems with his past releases have been resolved. If fans thought "1% of One" from Pig Lib was too long, "No More Shoes" found at the end of side A on the vinyl release of Face the Truth is lengthy, but truly displays some virtuoso guitar from Malkmus. While Pig Lib's sound was more tight and focused, Face the Truth looks to reclaim the quirky, passionate guitar playing of Pavement's best work and succeeds throughout. And if listeners thought his self-titled release was too cutesy at times, they will be happy to find all the rockers here are unintelligible and coherent at the same time just as they want 'em. Although the lyrics still remain stream-of-conscience and nearly impenetrable ("I was shot for meat, left alone with a crow, got into watercolors and you never saw me again"), they are perfectly literate for his winding, engaging melodies. Malkmus' heightened melodic and instrumental experimentation might confuse and frustrate listeners at first. However, repeated listens reveal the immaculate sonic texture and dynamics that pervade the record, most prevalent in the "I Am the Walrus"-styled outro of "Malediction." If you liked Stephen Malkmus and Pig Lib, you'll love Face the Truth eventually. Just be patient...
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks will be performing on June 5 at the Theater of the Living Arts.
Unlike Malkmus' frantic self-titled solo debut or his mechanical sophomore effort Pig Lib, Face the Truth presents the man at his most experimental since Pavement's Wowee Zowee. While I never understood why his first two efforts were so maligned by critics, Face the Truth does benefit by showing all the sides of Malkmus' songwriting personality. His effortless rock tendencies can be heard on such tracks as "Pencil Rot," "No More Shoes," "Malediction," "Post-Paint Boy" and "Baby Come On," while his softer side (now featuring strings!) is displayed in the gorgeous "Freeze the Saints," wistful "Loud Cloud Crowd" and utterly fantastic "It Kills." Furthermore, Malkmus brings out his experimental angle on "I've Hardly Been" and "Kindling for the Master."
All the problems with his past releases have been resolved. If fans thought "1% of One" from Pig Lib was too long, "No More Shoes" found at the end of side A on the vinyl release of Face the Truth is lengthy, but truly displays some virtuoso guitar from Malkmus. While Pig Lib's sound was more tight and focused, Face the Truth looks to reclaim the quirky, passionate guitar playing of Pavement's best work and succeeds throughout. And if listeners thought his self-titled release was too cutesy at times, they will be happy to find all the rockers here are unintelligible and coherent at the same time just as they want 'em. Although the lyrics still remain stream-of-conscience and nearly impenetrable ("I was shot for meat, left alone with a crow, got into watercolors and you never saw me again"), they are perfectly literate for his winding, engaging melodies. Malkmus' heightened melodic and instrumental experimentation might confuse and frustrate listeners at first. However, repeated listens reveal the immaculate sonic texture and dynamics that pervade the record, most prevalent in the "I Am the Walrus"-styled outro of "Malediction." If you liked Stephen Malkmus and Pig Lib, you'll love Face the Truth eventually. Just be patient...
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Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks will be performing on June 5 at the Theater of the Living Arts.
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