Sparkle Hard – Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
This article was originally posted on the S&R Blog.
Long live the ‘90s and all the relics they left behind in their ironic, self-immolating wake. The ‘60s had The Velvet Underground, but the former decade had Pavement as behind-the-scenes tastemakers. This certainly isn’t a window into what that band would have produced sans breakup, but it’s likely the closest we’ll ever come. Stephen Malkmus has already eclipsed the record count from his original band with the new one, but remnants of the old laconic songs still remain. Gone is the anarchy and lo-fi production but the irony, and therefore the ‘90s, are still here even more so than other Jicks records. Maybe it’s an older man reviving old habits, or just that it’s time as the decade Stephen once called home is coming back around like the ‘80s did not long ago, but for the first time in a while he feels relevant again. Fuck the ‘90s, long live Malkmus.
Check out Sparkle Hard by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks on Spotify and Apple Music.
And check out Mike Wohl on Spotify and Apple Music and Soundcloud!