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.
9/19 San Diego, CA Street Scene 9/20 Hollywood, CA Hollywood Bowl 9/22 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre 9/23 Albuquerque, NM Kiva Auditorium 9/25 El Paso, TX Abraham Chavez Theatre 9/27 Austin, TX ACL Festival 9/29 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre 9/30 Minneapolis, MN Wilkins Auditorium 10/2 Chicago, IL Aragon 10/3 Chicago, IL Aragon
