"So have you heard the new Stephen Malkmus?"

"Er, nah. I love Pavement, but didn't like his last one. I mean, 'Jenny and the Ess Dog' was okay, but I just couldn't get into most of it."

"Well you should check out Pig Lib. It's frickin' amazing."

"Amazing? I dunno. I don't think Malkmus has done anything amazing since Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain back in ‘94 . . . everything else had moments but, meh. I've really been more into The Postal Service lately anyway."

"Well I don't know how to explain it really . . . he just sounds so at ease this time around. Parts of it sound like if Terror Twilight had been as good as it should have been, but less depressing. Other parts have a laid-back, non-ironic classic rock vibe. Not like, big riffs, but like straight-ahead songs with really cool jam parts . . ."

"JAM PARTS? This is Malkmus. . . not Phish. Sounds like bad news."

"I know it sounds bad on paper, but trust me. When, in the middle of 'Oyster' he busts out in a pretty accomplished solo, it just sounds natural. Like he's doing what he wants to do. And even though it may take a certain mood to enjoy all nine minutes of '1% of 1,' chances are you won't realize it's been that long."

"Er, nine minutes . . . Gimme something else to love . . ."

"Did I mention the album's bordering-on-nonsense lyrics? Just when you can't take them seriously they hit you in the gut . . . or how about the hooks? Stuck in your head all day, in the best way possible."

"Ah. Now you're talking. Why don't you put it on?"

(Ed. - “I can’t… I’ve got both hands jammed down the front of my Wranglers while I’m standing here talking to myself! Me too!”) - (9/10)



(0) Comments