Stephen Malkmus

This is silly stuff, obviously, but it's a welcome return to the giddy wit that had dimmed as Pavement tried to contort itself into a conventional rock band.

Exactly the unpredictable effort you'd expect, it utilizes a new bunch of Portland buddies to render the old noises into background music as it explores such themes as Yul Brynner's makeover and piracy on the coast of Montenegro.

Malkmus remains up to his usual trickery, packing the proceedings with musical plot twists like false starts, abrupt fades, and fake codas. [#4, p.106]

Beyond the bookish lyrics, Malkmus has composed an album of brilliant songs, with creative intros, off-kilter arrangements, and well-placed effects.

Everything here is so enjoyable that it really doesn't matter that the man who helped give birth to the whole lo-fi movement has embraced a certain level of maturity. [March 2001, p.76]

It will remind you that Stephen Malkmus is one hell of a songwriter, whether you like him or not.

A swell record: personal but easy-going, distinctive, with a lot of picaresque personal narratives occasionally conveyed through exaggerated fantasy elements.

No, it's not quite the same as another Pavement album, but its literate, funny eclecticism is almost as irresistible.

Stephen Malkmus' solo debut is as mature, focused, and charming as it is rambunctious.

As accessible and eccentric as any album from Pavement's catalog...

There are two immediately apparent differences between Stephen Malkmus and Pavement's catalog: first and least surprisingly, there's less of a group dynamic here than on Pavement albums. It definitely has the sonic hallmarks of a "solo" album-- the songs are less jammy and spontaneous, more rigidly structured. Second, it's a lot more fun-sounding than Pavement was near the end of its shelf life.

An accessible, if far from revolutionary, work.

Throughout, there's little doubting Malkmus's charisma as a performer...

Most people will deem this album a significant piece of work, and maybe if you haven't heard much Pavement then it is.

His solo debut, Stephen Malkmus, doesn't sound so different from late-period Pavement, but at least he's regained his smart-ass swagger.

The new disc has a feeling of renewal, a sense of freedom, and perhaps even fun.

The album is not so much a departure as a continuation of Pavement, satisfying and occasionally inspired. [#205, p.59]

But, despite the added highlights of obscure noise effects and spaced-out keyboards, you can't help but notice that the music seems, at times, to lose a bit of momentum on certain tracks, serving as merely a backdrop for Malkmus' spontaneous bursts of guitar improvisation and catchy hooks.