New Beck-produced album coming from Stephen Malkmus

Malkmus and The Jicks

Though it's music critic heresy to say it, I'm going to:  I really don't think Pavement's first record, Slanted and Enchanted, is all that good. In fact, I think Pavement got better with every album, though Terror Twilight might be an exception (it's not quite as strong as Brighten the Corners).

Why is that relevant? Stephen Malkmus, who co-founded the band with a guy named Spiral Stairs, reputedly took more and more control of the band until it was practically his solo project. It was a good move. Malkmus had a lot more talent than the other guys. For further evidence, one only need listen to the four albums he's released under his own name (and alternately with a band called The Jicks).

Malkmus has recorded four really good records on his own -- all on Pavement's label, Matador records. The label announced yesterday that a new Malkmus and the Jicks record, called Mirror Traffic, has been scheduled for release on August 23. Also announced is that Beck is the producer.

The Matador release heaps a ton of (is it self?)  praise on the forthcoming record:

" But without dissing prior works that we deeply love, we can promise that ‘Mirror Traffic’ is the album that ties together Stephen’s skill-set like none of its predecessors.  The recording is nothing short of gorgeous, the songs crackling with confidence.  Calling this an album of the year candidate is really selling the record and the talented ensemble behind it short — what’s so special about this year, anyway?"

I can only hope it lives up to the some of that marketing hype. I'm not sure whether Beck as producer will be good or bad. I'm afraid he may wreck the whole thing. Of course, it's hard to imagine Malkmus surrendering much control over the end product. Either way, it's another record to look forward, too.

Matador has a couple releases now I'm trying to get my hands on: Fucked Up's new one, David Comes to Life and Thurston Moore's Demolished Thoughts. I hope to be writing about these here in the next week.