This week I'm kind of continuing the theme of reviewing a band's final release. This time I want to talk about what is probably my favorite overall Pavement record, Terror Twilight.
I spent a good while trying to decide why I like this album so much. It's not as energetic as some of their earlier work, and nowhere near as diverse as Wowee Zowee. The lyrics are no more or less decipherable than on any given Pavement album. But one thing that occured to me was that this record is focused, and that's partly what makes it stand out. There's no musical half-assery going on here; everything sounds like it was carefully considered and arranged. The pop songs are tight and catchy, while some of the more expansive numbers feature very intricate guitar interplay. But at the same time, the record does not sound sterile at all. Oh sure, the production is sparkly clean as needed, but while the various musical twists and turns sound planned and rehearsed, they do NOT sound either forced or tame.
The writing is a big reason why. Malkmus can come up with a catchy little set of chords and melody in his sleep, and he's no slouch at letting it all hang out with a heavier rock riff either. And his vocal delivery makes sure that things never get boring; even when he sounds lethargic ("Major Leagues" comes to mind), the slight sarcasm is still there, proving he doesn't need to shout or warble out of tune anymore to get his "I really don't care what you think" attitude across.
For me, the standout song on the record that really highlights everything I love about it is "Speak, See, Remember". It starts out as a catchy little jazz-pop thing, punctured by some sharp vocals over a pause or two, but in the middle it suddenly morphs into this beautiful jangly double-guitar heaven of melody. But just when you're smiling all over, in comes the distorted guitar that breaks the formerly tight rhythm into a slacker-rock riff that builds with harmonizing guitars before crashing back into a small reprise of the beginning of the song. These are all the things I love about Pavement - catchy chords, double guitar jangle, vocals that alternate between beautiful melody and sneering attitude, and a good slacker's riff every now and again - and they are all on display in a measured and mature fashion on this album. Is it possible to call a "slacker's riff" mature? Yeah - it means it's got the attitude without being obnoxious. Like this record.
I spent a good while trying to decide why I like this album so much. It's not as energetic as some of their earlier work, and nowhere near as diverse as Wowee Zowee. The lyrics are no more or less decipherable than on any given Pavement album. But one thing that occured to me was that this record is focused, and that's partly what makes it stand out. There's no musical half-assery going on here; everything sounds like it was carefully considered and arranged. The pop songs are tight and catchy, while some of the more expansive numbers feature very intricate guitar interplay. But at the same time, the record does not sound sterile at all. Oh sure, the production is sparkly clean as needed, but while the various musical twists and turns sound planned and rehearsed, they do NOT sound either forced or tame.
The writing is a big reason why. Malkmus can come up with a catchy little set of chords and melody in his sleep, and he's no slouch at letting it all hang out with a heavier rock riff either. And his vocal delivery makes sure that things never get boring; even when he sounds lethargic ("Major Leagues" comes to mind), the slight sarcasm is still there, proving he doesn't need to shout or warble out of tune anymore to get his "I really don't care what you think" attitude across.
For me, the standout song on the record that really highlights everything I love about it is "Speak, See, Remember". It starts out as a catchy little jazz-pop thing, punctured by some sharp vocals over a pause or two, but in the middle it suddenly morphs into this beautiful jangly double-guitar heaven of melody. But just when you're smiling all over, in comes the distorted guitar that breaks the formerly tight rhythm into a slacker-rock riff that builds with harmonizing guitars before crashing back into a small reprise of the beginning of the song. These are all the things I love about Pavement - catchy chords, double guitar jangle, vocals that alternate between beautiful melody and sneering attitude, and a good slacker's riff every now and again - and they are all on display in a measured and mature fashion on this album. Is it possible to call a "slacker's riff" mature? Yeah - it means it's got the attitude without being obnoxious. Like this record.
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