746. Slanted and Enchanted - Pavement

This album was one I listened to a few times a number of years ago to try to expand my repertoire of "music I should know". That was back when I was try-hard enough to do that sort of thing, but not committed enough to devote 19 years of my life to that type of thing. Regardless, I am glad I made that commitment, because it meant I could enjoy this album even more than I otherwise would have done. And what an album it is.

From the opening squeals of Summer Babe - Winter Version to the divine hi-hat driven Our Singer, this is an album that is utterly captivating. Conduit For Sale! shows how simple distorted guitar, spoken word, and relentless drumming can make for a song that is hugely intense. Zurich is Stained shows Stephen Malkmus's ability to carry a song with his voice, despite him not being a classically brilliant singer. Two States distils everything great about Punk, adds a huge dash of pop to proceedings, and states its case in less than two minutes. Fame Throwa is a meandering, intricate mess of a song that shouldn't come close to working, yet I have a burning urge to see it live, where I can only imagine the visceral thrill of shouting along amongst a sweaty mob.

I don't fully understand why I like this album so much, to be honest. There is no single song that stands out as superb, and no particular instrument that grabs your attention. The lyrics are so oblique as to be irrelevant in and of themselves, and the production values are decidedly lo-fi. And yet, despite all this, I can't stop listening to it. It is similar to Guided by Voices in its lack of pomposity, yet better in terms of giving the songs space to breathe and grow.

Chloe's album rating: 7
Chloe's favourite track: 12. Fame Throwa
Olly's album rating: 9
Olly's favourite track: 1. Summer Babe - Winter Version

Next week's album is 517. Duck Rock by Malcolm Mclaren