Stephen Malkmus - Stephen Malkmus (2001)

Pavement's final album 'Terror Twilight' displayed how the wheels were well and truly coming off this ingenious enterprise. It seemed to have been made with a sigh rather than a smirk even though there was some typically shiny pop tunes included. With the subsequent sad demise of the band, lead singer Stephen Malkmus somehow rose phoenix like from their ashes to produce a solo that, at least, occasionally harks back to the glory days. Stephen Malkmus is classically based on the Pavement blueprint of beguiling guitar manoeuvres, strong vocals and deadpan lyrics. One wonders though, how Malkmus expected to achieve anything more than he had with Pavement when he peddles a similar set of wares.

With Malkmus you get generous hauls of jangly guitar hooks and a vocal that expedites a slacker attitude. 'Church On White' is a case in point; just another song where you crack open the oyster, worrying only how big the pearl inside will be. There are little nods to other artists between the grooves. 'The Hook' has a neat Stones riff; there are faraway echoes of Clapton on 'Trojan Curfew' and some gentle Velvet Underground nuances on 'Discretion Grove'. Outside of this, the rest is of Malkmus' own making. Who else could conceive musical piety in the form of 'Vague Space’, which is a little disturbed, a little lo-fi and more than a little brilliant. 'The Black Book' sees a noticeably more mature Malkmus play it straight for once which acts a good foil for the bubblegum genius that follows it.

'Phantasies' has a sunny grove complete with handclaps and xylophones. Thankfully it is about as light and throwaway as the album gets. Elsewhere the melody is carefully masked resulting in a more jagged listening experience. Like on 'Jo Jo's Jacket', a disjointed tune that slowly weaves its magic as its disparate parts gel. As was the case with Pavement, some efforts are unconditionally gorgeous. 'Trojan Curfew' spins off at a divine tangent, only after it has coolly lulled you into the false impression that it's a homespun effort packed with lilting piano's and Malkmus' fireside vocals. 'Discretion Grove' which became a single is Malkmus by numbers, which in itself is no bad thing but it remains a strange choice to announce the album. True, there are some lovely chord changes but it lacks a killer chorus that would have the uninitiated listening in with interest. 'Deado' is a lot more amiable, low slung and inebriated on melody it is Malkmus gently tugging at our heartstrings and succeeding.

Pavement left us with a sublime pop legacy. Stephen Malkmus has a big task on his hands to emulate their achievements but his solo debut is a tidy start. Pavement could have taken some choice cuts from this and turned ‘Terror Twilight’ into a nourishing addition to their own legacy. Perhaps Malkmus was keeping the better songs in reserve foreseeing the end of the band. As it is Stephen Malkmus is a patchwork quilt of the great, the good and the average, which means it just falls short of being a winner. That said this album is neither a crisis nor a boring change.

Rating: 6/10

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