Year in Rock 2011 Nominee: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
Senator
From: Mirror Traffic
Released: August 23
When you're the former leader of a band as revered and scrutinized as Pavement was, it can be expected that your post-band solo career will be taken as a footnote, no matter what you may accomplish. Indeed, while Pavement's run ended in 1999 at ten years and five albums, Malkmus has continued on since, and this year his recorded output with the Jicks matched that of Pavement. And, whereas Pavement's final album was thick and layered with sound, Malkmus' fifth album with the Jicks is the closest thing he's come to recapturing the simple elegance that Pavement became known for nearly twenty years ago. It's the product of relaxation; the bulk of Mirror Traffic is laid back and locked into its grooves, as opposed to much of Malkmus' other post-Pavement output, which often has the tendency to be too dense and weighed down in sonic architecture. That approach made for some good records, but they weren't as easy to enjoy as Mirror Traffic. Malkmus' songwriting isn't dumbed down; there are still a lot of stylistic shifts and immenseness to the songs, they're just not so impenetrable. It may have been at the urging of Beck (who co-produced the album), it may have been the fact that it was recorded just prior to Pavement's 2010 reunion tour. Whatever the case, Mirror Traffic is a rare gift; it's a triumphant dose of nostalgia, a throwback to Pavement's glory days that doesn't feel stale or forced. For those bitterly disappointed by the slew of 90's rocker comebacks that haven't lived up to their legacies (I'm looking at you, Stone Temple Pilots), Mirror Traffic might just put a smile on your face.
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