Confession time: I don’t own any other Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks albums. Okay, fine, I admit it. I’ve never heard a Pavement album in my life. Skye has already lambasted me for this unforgivable lapse in my musical knowledge, and yes, I feel suitably chastened. So if you’re eager to find out how “Mirror Traffic” stands up to Stephen Malkmus’ previous work, I can’t help you. Go read something else. Nothing to see here.

Anyway, is this record any good? I say yes. It kicks off with the chirpy guitars and summery vocals of “Tigers”. “I caught you streaking in your Birkenstocks / A scary thought” is one of the more memorable opening couplets I’ve heard. Good choice of single, Mr. Malkmus.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Tigers by artsandcraftsmx

I like his voice, incidentally. He sounds a little goofy, a bit dork. That’s fine. The band sounds like they’re having fun. Chiming guitars abound and pedal steel licks lend the album a wee country twang I can’t argue with. Some internet research hints at more jam-based songs on previous SM&J records, and sure enough, I can almost hear them straining to keep the wig-outs in check. Sometimes they can’t resist; “Brain Gallop” stars off relaxed, but the tension soon builds to an obvious but welcome spiraling fuzz solo.

Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks – Brain Gallop by artsandcraftsmx

“Jumblegloss” is an enchanting snippet of atmosphere begging to be made into a full-length song; “Spazz” is the tricksy one with its jerky rhythms and changing time signatures. Elsewhere, “No One (Is As I Are Be)” and “Asking Price” provide languid, folky changes of pace. I hear dashes of Luna pervading many of the songs, and that can only be a good thing. Oh, and the intro to “Long Hard Book” just screams “Space and Time” by The Verve. Try it. You’ll see. If I were being picky, I’d say the album is a little long, but I can’t fault the closing songs when taken in isolation. So yeah, I’ll probably listen to some Pavement soon.

Oh, and apparently Beck produced the album.

I don’t listen to him either.

(Hear the entirety of Mirror Traffic at NPR /the guardian)