Stephen Malkmus - Real Emotional Trash
by Jamie Rowland
published: 19 / 3 / 2008
Label:
Domino Records
Format: CD
intro
Great, thoroughly enjoyable pop-rock on fine fourth solo album from former Pavement star, Stepehn Malkmus
Stephen Malkmus returns with the Jicks in tow (now including Quasi bassist Joanna Bolme) for a fourth outing, and very glad we are about it too. Reliably, 'Real Emotional Trash' is a slightly quirky collection of 10 pop-rock beauties which, for the most part, hit all the right buttons. From album opener ‘Dragonfly Pie’s glockenspiel-laced chorus to closer ‘Wicked Wanda’s freaked-out guitar outro, the album flitters between easily-digestible pop tracks to extended wig-outs – these being my only major gripe with the record; sometimes these demonstrations of guitar-wankery go on a little long, in particularly on ‘Hopscotch Willie’ and ‘Elmo Delmo’ – which are otherwise very good songs. Also, it’s very difficult to keep the listener’s interest on a song exceeding ten minutes, as the album’s titular track does, although Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks do manage to pull it off (the lyrics on all the tracks, I should point out, are consistently brilliant). Tellingly, my favourite songs (aside from ‘Dragonfly Pie’) are also the shortest on 'Real Emotional Trash' – ‘Cold Son’, ‘Gardenia’ and ‘We Can’t Help You’; the poppiest songs on the record. Overall, 'Real Emotional Trash' is a great album, and really enjoyable, and if you’re a fan of Malkmus’s past work, and don’t mind the odd extravagant solo, this record should be right up your alley.
Track Listing:-
1 Dragonfly Pie2 Hopscotch Willy
3 Cold Son
4 Real Emotional Trash
5 Out Of Reaches
6 Baltimore
7 Gardenia
8 Elmo Delmo
9 We Can’t Help You
10 Wicked Wanda
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen-Malkmus-The-Jicks/56710584421http://stephenmalkmus.com/
https://twitter.com/malkmusandjicks
http://stephenmalkmusandthejicksblog.tumblr.com/
Label Links:-
http://www.dominorecordco.com/https://www.facebook.com/DominoRecordCo
https://twitter.com/DominoRecordCo
https://www.youtube.com/user/DominoRecords
https://plus.google.com/+DominoRecords
interviews |
|
Interview (2008) |
|
| Mark Rowland speaks to former Pavement front man Stephen Malkmus the night after playing a show to a packed audience in London about both his latest band the Jicks and their recently released compplex latest album, 'Real Emotional Trash' |
reviews |
|
Traditional Technqiues (2020) |
|
| Stunning return to form from former Pavement front man who is aided by critically acclaimed guitarist Matt Sweeney |
| Wig Out at Jagbags (2014) |
| Kindling For The Master (2006) |
| Face The Truth (2005) |
| Pig Lib (2003) |
| Stephen Malkus (2001) |
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.Dennis Tufano - Copernicus Center, Chicago, 19/7/2024
Elliott Murphy - Interview
Wreckless Eric - Interview
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #16: Living in the Minds of Strangers
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #17: Tom Robinson
Adrian Gurvitz - Interview
Norman Rodger - Interview
Chris Spedding - Interview
Penumbra - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Groovy Uncle - Making ExcusesPhilip Parfitt - The Dark Light
Jules Winchester - The Journey
Deep Purple - =1
Bill Wyman - Drive My Car
Ross Couper Band - The Homeroad
Hawkestrel - Chaos Rocks
John Murry and Michael Timmins - A Little Bit of Grace and Decay
Popstar - Obscene
Splashgirl and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - More Human
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart