Face the Truth

iTunes Review

As the frontman for Pavement, Stephen Malkmus acted casually, tossing off random asides as poetry and amusing himself while the band deconstructed behind him. As a solo act, he still amuses himself, first and foremost, but he’s also taken control of the arrangements. While the Jicks may be his touring band, in the studio, it’s Malkmus at the instruments and controls which leads to tighter arrangements. Guitars still meander around the melodies and abrupt keyboards and shadings emerge, but it’s with an allegiance towards supporting not tearing down the song. The electric bounce of “Pencil Rot,” the buzzing flow of “It Kills,” the fast talking groove of “I’ve Hardly Been” feature Malkmus at his most playful, singing in falsetto, adding little melodic twists in the breaks, and sounding like a man on a mission to ad-lib his way through life. “Freeze the Saints,” with its warm harmonies and twinkling piano notes, is the closest Malkmus comes to lite-FM. (The drums kick too hard and there are layers of grime underneath the well-manicured façade.) The eight-minute “No More Shoes” gives room for his inner guitar hero to shine. He’s not just a clever lyricist, but a man of strong musical design.