You don't get to wigout on every track here but the typically great title does signal that this is an album full of fun and choc-full of high tempo let-loose moments.
Fans of Pavement and previous Jicks outings will not be disappointed by this January 6th 2014 Domino Records release. All of the trademark Jicks characteristics are here - great riffs, fuzzy guitar, quirky lyrics (’people look great when they shave ... don’t they?’) and inventive song structures that twist and turn and change pace in unexpected but utterly satisfying ways. Most of all - there's lots of great melodies to hum or whistle along to.
The first four tracks set a pretty rapid pace. You may have heard lead single 'Lariat' already. To these ears it sounds like an up-tempo cheeky version of Wilco and that's no bad thing at all. 'Shibboleth' sounds a little like a Pixies track complete with heavy bass hook and clocking in at under three minutes long.
Track five marks a short-lived change in the mood and is my favourite track on the album. 'J Smoov' has a lazy laid back groove as its foundation and upon it builds a beautifully languid trombone solo before a crescendo of vocal, keys and brass carries the soul into a place beyond cares and woes. It's the record's centrepiece that raises it above the normally high watermark expected of all Malkmus' output and into the realms of the classic album.
It's right that this 5-minute opus is followed with an Eels-esque sub 2-minute rocky energetic romp of a song in 'Rumble at the Rainbo', complete with brief reggae outro.
'Chartjunk' sounds like a great indie rock pastiche on Billy Joel covering a Mowtown classic. It certainly recalls 'It's Still Rock 'n' Roll To Me' in parts but of course it's so so much better than that makes it sound!!
There's some brilliant guitar playing towards the end of the album - notably the outro to short and sweet 'Scattegories' and throughout the brilliantly titled 'Cinnamon and Lesbians.'
All in all this is a great record and probably Malkmus' most complete and coherent collection of songs since Pavement's 'Terror Twilight' some 15 years earlier (no really, 15!).
Not even 2014 yet and already a strong contender for album of next year.
Words: Russell Poad
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