Stephen Malkmus is giving his fans every reason short of a Pavement reunion (hey, we all have our dreams) to be excited this year. Although he’s taking about a year or so off from serious touring to focus on the upcoming birth of a child, he’ll be going on a short six city tour across the country this spring. He’ll also soon be pulling guest duties on the extremely anticipated next (last?) Silver Jews album, with on-again/off-again collaborator David Berman. All of this new Malkmus news is, of course, riding on the heels of his new and exceptional full-length album entitled Face the Truth.
Face the Truth is, among many things, a bit of a throwback to Malkmus’ earlier days with Wowee Zowee-era Pavement. This may be because it’s the first album since that time when he hasn’t been intensely pressured or directly influenced by outside influences. Without the obvious help of his usual backing band on his two previous solo LPs, Malkmus decided with the recording of Face the Truth to utilize the studio he has in his basement, and just let loose. With the motto “keep it strange,” which he apparently scrawled on a sign and kept hung up throughout the entire recording process, Malkmus has come up with something that is anything but a safe or boring record.
The album opens with “Pencil Rot,” which Malkmus himself describes as having some “killer drum machine” on it. It is, as a whole, very different from anything he’s put out as a solo artist (possibly relating more to last album’s “Dark Wave” than anything else), and is also, oddly enough, the most danceable song that he’s ever composed. Although faltering slightly at times, as with the Beck-esque rap/testimony towards the end which doesn’t quite work, “Pencil Rot” is a solid and catchy opener to the rest of an album which is not as instantly appealing. But have faith.
In a time when albums and art have, unfortunately, become nothing more than new merchandise to be consumed, Face the Truth is a record which absolutely requires repeated listens for full appreciation. Songs like “Freeze the Saints,” with its Ben-Foldsian piano hook and leisurely take on existence by way of Malkmus logic, and “Post-Paint Boy,” with its observations on the state of modern art, are certainly not your typical pop radio fare. They also are not as noticeably accessible for old-time fans of Malkmus, either, but when fully taken in they can easily stand up to any of the solo material he’s already put out.
While mostly full of fresh songs which still hearken back to a familiar sound, the album is not without some small faults. With the eight minute “No More Shoes,” Malkmus once again exhibits his penchant for overlong and slightly indulgent guitar rock (although admittedly much more easy to take than Pig Lib’s “1% of One”). The only truly distracting track on the entire album is “Kindling For the Master,” which seems to be some kind of awkward and unsuccessful exercise in danceable indie trip-hop. The song shows the only downfall of Malkmus’ “keep it strange” attitude—which can be seen forgivably in particular parts of other songs, but can’t be ignored over the course of an entire track.
Face the Truth is not exactly a step in the direction people were expecting him to go, but then again Stephen Malkmus has created an entire career out of not going exactly where he’s expected. In the end it’s an album that more than builds upon his already solid collection of solo work, and just makes fans more excited for his next release (which seems like it can never come too soon).
