IN REVIEW: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Wig Out at Jagbags"

If 2011's Mirror Traffic felt like a long lost Pavement album, it wasn't exactly coincidence. Released around the time of Pavement's reunion tour, it was the closest approximation to his former band's sound on record since they hung it up in the twilight of the 90's. It would certainly seem as though Stephen Malkmus took a few things away from the acclaim and success of Mirror Traffic, though Wig Out At Jagbags is certainly a more sonically dense and genre busting affair than its predecessor.

That Malkmus permanent musical stamp (if you've been listening, you know it) is still there. There is plenty of flavour in the arrangements, with keys and horns all over parts of this record. But, where the extra seasoning might have come off as a little overbearing on Malkmus' more experimental releases, it seems to know and accept its place on Wig Out At Jagbags; the best example is second half highlight Chartjunk, a song absolutely soaked in sound but actually less alienating and more endearing. 

Of course, if you've heard lead single Lariat, you know that the 90's nostalgia is in full effect as well. With its refrain practically spelling it all out for you ("we grew up listening to the music from the best decade ever"), it's easily the most Pavement-like moment on the record. There are other moments sure to please the closed minded Pavement fans, but there honestly aren't that many other obvious throwbacks on Wig Out At Jagbags. Even the seemingly 90's-baked Shibboleth has a lot going on in the background that make it seem more a sonic tribute than a sonic revisit.

Oddly enough, my personal highlights on Wig Out At Jagbags all seem to occur when Malkmus slows the tempo. Houston Hades starts out with its big rock ending before settling into an easy groove that sounds like something Wilco might have left off Sky Blue Sky because it was a bit too heavy. J Smoov at first flirts with soulful, vintage AM radio balladry, then brings it home to make sweet, drunken love with it in front of the fireplace. Independence Street is a short, satisfying waltz with some of the album's most accomplished guitar parts.

The album's closing pair, Cinnamon And Lesbians and (especially) Surreal Teenagers perhaps take the sound back a little too far; the trippy tinges of sixties rock don't really jibe with me the way the rest of the album did. It's not offensive, just fatiguing. And, a handful of tracks become sort of forgettable by default; it's not their fault, they just don't have an album stand-out moment or exceptionally clever lyric like many tracks do.

In summary, Wig Out At Jagbags finds Stephen Malkmus in a fun and comfortable place; he's not making purposefully weird records to escape the Pavement sound, and he's not blatantly revisiting it for a cash in. He sounds unashamed of his past accomplishments and unafraid to go forward. It's a strong album with a sense of adventure musically, typically witty lyricism, and a few true career highlights.

January 7, 2014 • Matador

Highlights Lariat • Houston Hades • J Smoov