Stephen Malkmus' debut was always going to be much 'anticipated' by all who had even a passing interest in Pavement. Towards the end of last year, before initial review copies slipped out (under the working title 'Swedish Reggae'), many sections of the press believed it would be more 'folky' than the later Pavement albums. Perhaps the frontman would take the opportunity to develop the beautiful melodies that first made his name almost a decade before. Maybe being in Pavement really was like wearing handcuffs, as he suggested at their final ever British gig in Brixton.
But if this eponymous debut is a sign of what Malkmus really wants his 'sound' to be, the reasons behind disbanding Pavement must lie in other areas than just musical differences. Virtually any one of the tracks here could be Pavement. To suggest that Malkmus has recruited yes-men to play along with him, finally freed from the obligation of a ten year old band is unfair, but certainly tracks like opener 'Black Book' and 'Vogue Space' could have been culled from the 'Wowee Zowee' album.
Elsewhere 'The Hook' sees Malkmus as a pirate who was captured as a youth but later grows to command the ship, attacking the coast of Montenegro on a regular basis. The pun in the title is clever (the guitar line is the catchiest thing on the CD, and pirates have, well... hooks!) but the narrative seems forced, as if the abstraction of Malkmus' former life has been squeezed out. It's not really contrived, but maybe he is trying a little to hard to confuse, which is unnecessary because anyone who knows his music already will be more than familiar with his non-linear approach to songwriting.
Aside from these gripes, this debut is still extremely uplifting. The final track, 'Deado' is quite sublime, and 'Jenny And The Ess-Dog' has daytime radio splashed all over it. 'Phantasies' is Malkmus-doing-Blur-doing-Pavement, which is a strange paradox indeed, and elsewhere we hear of actor Yul Brynner and crows called Mortimer.
Most people will deem this album a significant piece of work, and maybe if you haven't heard much Pavement then it is. Malkmus is probably more aware of this than anyone.
