Review by LarryG
2½ stars out of 4
A tension arises throughout Pavement's body of work. The band can make
fairly polished rock songs but is also drawn to more personal, less
accessible, music. On their biggest hit, Cut Your Hair, Stephen Malkmus
screams out in terror at the tension involved in actually planning a
career in music but on Stereo, he's blissfully happy about hearing his
music played. Pavement's last cd, Brighten The Corners, was consistent
and extremely satisfying because the songs, while retaining a distinctive
quirkiness, were well developed and tuneful.Terror Twilight is more hit
and miss, almost as scattered and idiosyncratic as Wowee Zowee, which
had a lot of great moments but was hardly focused.
A lot of Terror Twilight is slow and quiet, a mode Malkmus seems more
comfortable in as he gets older. Some songs on Terror Twilight show Malkmus
to be a brilliant, mature performer. Once again, he brings to mind the
melancholy Ray Davies of middle period Kinks. Much of the record is
sad and low key. Malkmus succeeds brilliantly on two songs. On
the openly track, over beautiful, subdued music, Malkmus sadly
sings of feeling such bitterness, he could "Spit On a Stranger."
Major Leagues, which again brings to mind the band's ambivalence about
success with Malkmus singing "bring on the major leagues",
also has a very appealingly personal and restrained charm. The usually
hard to decipher Malkmus is refresingly direct and sweet on Ann Don't
Cry. You Are a Light, Cream of Gold and The Hexx are more meandering and
the nonsequitor lyrics and Malkmus' downbeat, nearly spoken singing can
be trying.
Here's what others reviewers have to say:
"...The songs and lyrics slide around with a decorous unpredictability,
like ice on a hot stove. This is an album full of folk-rock lucidity,
tough-guy guitar spills, space-rock languor and a debonair heartache
worthy of Seal or Morrissey..." 4 out of 5 Stars
Rolling Stone 6/24/99, p.67
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