Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks; Real Emotional Trash; Matador
Stephen Malkmus’ Real Emotional Trash is his first solo release that sounds as willfully sprawling as his best work with his old band. Backed once again by the Jicks, Malkmus has abandoned the clever, artsy pop of his last few releases, opting instead for a heavy jam-fest. Finally achieving the mix of hooks and guitar freakouts that fans have been awaiting through his four releases since the dissolution of Pavement, Real Emotional Trash is his best solo album to date.
“Dragonfly Pie” kicks things off with a sludgy psychedelic riff before slyly transitioning to one of Malkmus’ catchiest choruses. “Hopscotch Willie” is a slow-burner, building to a soaring guitar explosion that is one of the album’s highlights. The title track is the album’s centerpiece, a ten-minute jam that progresses from a mellow, bittersweet opening verse to a feedback-laced midsection to an upbeat bridge that leads into a massive, dual-guitar solo. It’s an exhausting listen, though, so its placement right in the middle of the album is questionable.
Other highlights include “Baltimore,” another long jam that sounds an awful lot like Pavement did at their peak, and “Gardenia,” a fantastically catchy, straightforward pop song. Unfortunately, Real Emotional Trash trails off a bit near the end. With a 55 minute run time, it seems Malkmus could have cut one of the lesser tracks without losing much. “Elmo Delmo” immediately comes to mind—its hook lacks punch and its coda is drawn out for far too long.
Those hoping Malkmus would continue along the avant-garde path he forged with Face the Truth will be disappointed with his latest effort. More than anything he has released since Pavement broke up in 1999, Real Emotional Trash is a rock ‘n roll record steeped in the seventies tradition. Detractors will claim that he has developed too strong a classic-rock fetish after covering Bob Dylan twice for the I’m Not There soundtrack, but his particular brand of classic rock revivalism still sounds more like Stephen Malkmus than anyone else.
With Real Emotional Trash, Malkmus has crafted the killer hooks his past few records were missing and created a definite success.
Voice’s Choices: “Dragonfly Pie,” “Hopscotch Willie,” “Baltimore”
