Next Best Records Blog

Now, here's a nice one.  I'm always a bit biased when it comes to Stephen Malkmus (next time you see me, ask me to tell you how I got really into Pavement), but Malk's Real Emotional Trash is one of the best new records I've heard in this still-young year.

The Malkmus solo records have been decent enough so far.  The first, self-titled one, to me, sounded like a guy moving from fronting one of the most storied bands of the '90's to starting to relax, and trying to find a truer, more personal voice in the process.  Stephen Malkmus was good, and it holds up well (let's see you write a better song than "Jenny & the Ess-Dog"), but I can't shake the sense that these are the songs that would've been on the next Pavement album -- and where's Nastanovich and Ibold?!?!  The next two records, Pig Lib and Face The Truth also have their moments, but at times they seem like Malk overshooting his mark.  In other words, they sound too much like S.M. trying to do something different, and in the process boldly pinning his prog-rock influences onto his sleeve so that the guy we've all known and loved sorta gets lost in the shuffle.  I don't think I'm ever going to be able to fully appreciate "Kindling for the Master," and "1% of One" gets a little too self-indulgent for me.

With Real Emotional Trash, though, it sounds like Malk's found the happy medium.  Listen to the way the bouncy chorus of "Dragonfly Pie" tears into a vintage heavy Malkmus riff.  Sit back as the cascades of "Real Emotional Trash," a 10-minute song that's honestly not too long, go flying by, culminating in a controlled freakout that's maybe the best one of its kind this side of "Half a Canyon."  Check the "I know the tide will turn" refrain in "Out of Reaches."  Ol' Steve's got something good going here.

S.M. pop-rock fans (like me) are certain to have the "So much for the curb appeal / so much for the three-course meals" part of "Gardenia" stuck in their heads for days, much like a grown up version of "I Love Perth."  "Elmo Delmo," on the other hand, sounds like the song he's been trying to write for the past three records, driving and meandering at the same time -- a sort of dense but insistent Malkmus epic.  "We Can't Help You" is a keeper, and "Wicked Wanda" puts a nice bow on the whole package.  I guess the record as a whole showcases Malk and the Jicks getting comfortable with each other as a unit, as it seems like Malkmus is in his element here while also getting the extra touches from his bandmates that he wouldn't be able to throw on there if he were doing everything himself.

This isn't to say that Real Emotional Trash isn't a challenging record.  It takes a few listens to get a handle on it.  After all, it is a 10-song, 60-minute record, and there is a fair amount of noodling on there that may turn off some people.  Still, I think this may be the best solo outing Malkmus has given us to date.  People need to stop worrying about a Pavement reunion -- trust me, all you gotta do is grab a beer and put "You're Killing Me" and "Home" on really loud and everything will be alright.  If you're looking for something new, though, now's your time to maybe think about hopping on board again.