Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Minor Traffic

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 13 / 9 / 2011

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“We are the tigers/We are so divine and let us in,” the Jicks with Stephen Malkmus proclaim. Going back on the road again with Pavement ultimately meant little to Stephen Malkmus compared to his new album with the Jicks. In not glorifying the past, 'Mirror Traffic' eagerly embraces the new and unexplored, and has a wacky way with words. 'Senator' is a slammer, a political pamphlet of some style, which is closer to the Replacements than to Pavement. Lines from 'Senator' will be quoted numerous times as it should have a naughty word alert. Virtual and virtuous, Malkmus finds himself trapped in his own web of words and melody lines. "My resume speaks," he sings on 'Share the Red', and then on the next he appears ever so keen to disorientate you. Yet rather coherently, 'Mirror Traffic' has a grungy indie Americana sound, and even more so magnificently renders catchy chorus vocals. 'Spazz' bridges the void in between Malkmus' twisted words and his sparsely dotted sense of music and melody lines. The ooh-ooh backing vocals, which very much epitomised the songs of Pavement, make a righteous return to form on ‘True Grief’, both in terms of lyrics and melody. "Do what you must/But don't touch/I am ever so sad." Paving the freaky freeway from Sonic Youth to Doobie Brothers with words, Malkmus gives us further insight as he sings, "I can see the truth is wasted on the youth." Malkmus shows off witty wisdom on 'Share the Red'. Still quintessentially odd, 'Mirror Traffic' is very much middle of the road. Touches of Malkmus' vitriolic irony will go amiss yet there's a whole wealth to be explored here. Let's not forget that R.E.M. always wanted to be like Pavement.

Track Listing:-

1 Tigers
2 No One Is (As I Are Be)
3 Senator
4 Brain Gallop
5 Jumblegloss
6 Asking Price
7 Stick Figures In Love
8 Spazz
9 Long Hard Book
10 Share The Red
11 Tune Grief
12 Forever 28
13 All Over Gently
14 Fall Away
15 Gorgeous Georgie

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

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