If you are of a certain age and maintained a proclivity toward independent music in the 1990s then chances are that Pavement are the most important band in the world to you. I don't mean to say that they are objectively the most important band musically to emerge from the 90s (although the argument can certainly be made), what I mean is that Pavement, far more than any other band, has soundtracked a good part of yours and my life. As Stephen Malkmus rightly noted in a recent interview, "a certain strata of middle-class hipsters share Pavement." I would only add to that quote that those "hipsters" are not only middle-class, but have presently either arrived at, or are approaching, middle-age. The days of listening to "Range Life" on long road trips with college friends in-between bars has faded into the rear-view mirror, and Malkmus' core audience is now more likely to be jamming "Cut Your Hair" in the family vehicle while their children sing along. Of course, Pavement called it quits right as the century was turning, calling an end to the decade that they helped define, but that hasn't stopped fans from playing their records religiously, or traveling long distances to catch them live on their recent reunion tour. While fans have not necessarily wanted to accept that Pavement is no longer, Pavement's members, particularly Malkmus, have clearly moved on. Over the last ten years Malkmus has looked more forward than backward, releasing five albums with his new set of bandmates the Jicks. While nearly each release has been worthwhile, particularly "Pig Lib" and "Real Emotional Trash," nothing has come close to the magic of Pavement-era Malkmus that is until now. Simply put, "Mirror Traffic" is Malkmus' best work since Pavement's "Brighten The Corners."
What makes this record so excellent is that it sounds as relaxed as Pavement once did while maintaining a focus unlike anything before. Gone are the long beefy jams of "Real Emotional Trash," the bizzaro experimental rock of "Face the Truth," and the moody prog of "Pig Lib." In their place is a distillation of the best parts of all of the above coupled with the most inspired pop of Malkmus' career since "Shady Lane." Lyrically and musically Malkmus is switched to the "on" position throughout the Beck-produced "Mirror Trash." Opener "Tigers" is exactly the kind of catchy, sunny tune that made Pavement legends. It is no surprise that my two young daughters picked up on the song's jangly little hooks immediately, requesting that I play it over and over again, which I was able to do without losing my mind - no small reward for any aged "hipster" stuck carting around their respective broods. Even as I write this review I hear one of them off in the distance singing the chorus "We are the tigers, we need separate rooms, we are so divided, let us in." For my part, though, I am partial to the opening line, "I caught you streaking in your Birkenstocks, a scary thought in the 2Ks," a rather choice lyric that announces that Malkmus' wry wit and humor is in effect for much of "Mirror Traffic," which should put a smile on any Pavement fan's face.
"No One Is (As I Are Be)" follows "Tigers" and finds Malkmus at his most relaxed on the record, with a mellow acoustic strummer that is elevated by the addition of french horns midway through. More than any other track, Beck's hand as a producer is evident here, but only as a complement to Malkmus. In fact, with the exception of this song, it is easy to forget that Beck had anything to do with the record. Rather than impose himself of Malkmus' singular talent, Beck focuses solely on making Malkmus and the Jicks sound better than ever, which he succeeds at wildly. The entire record is absolutely pitch-perfect in terms of production, not too much, not too little. Beck's production allows Malkmus to take all of the tightness that has characterized his most recent work with the Jicks and marry it with the easy feel of his earlier career. It all comes off like the most concise and tightest Pavement record never recorded.
Then there are the songs themselves. These 15 tracks are - sorry, but I have to say it - "all killer, no filler." Certainly some tracks are better than others, but each and everyone of these pieces are superb in their own right. Not every song can be as deliriously perfect as the punchy "Senator" or the bombastic "Forever 28," but I'll be damned if I don't to lose myself to the "Wowee Zowee"-like swing of "Long Hard Book" every time it comes on. For my money though, the beautifully melancholic "Asking Price" followed by the elevating "Stick Figures In Love," as well as the epic and emotional "Share The Red" are the album's real sleepers. Yet, the joy in discovering all of the large and small gems throughout "Mirror Traffic" is half the fun of the record, so I won't spoil it any further.
Maybe there will be a few other records that come before this on my best of the year list, or maybe not, but one thing is for certain; there is no other record this year that I will listen to more. That isn't for nostalgia's sake either. "Mirror Traffic" is not a "return to form" or an attempt to recapture youth from twenty-years ago. As Heraclitus said, "you can't step in the same river twice." That is just one of life's many bittersweet truths, and Malkmus is not pretending otherwise. Instead, over the years his music has become timeless, as all great music does. As a result, "Mirror Traffic" will sound just as good on a long road trip with your college friends as it will taking your kids to school and aging. Of all the indie-rock records I've heard this year, this is the one that I'll remember and listen to twenty more years down the road.
"Senator"
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