Face the Truth I was reading somewhere recently about
ageing indie guys. It was scary how much of me I saw in the
article. There's no denying we've gotten older. That teen
angst and slacker shit is too hard to pull off when we're
working behind a desk every day and paying a mortgage. Luckily
for us there's Stephen Malkmus. The once brash and pissy leader
of Pavement has settled into his
life as a thirty-something with a sudden comfort and understanding
that makes the rest of us know that it's okay that you'd rather
listen to that new Grandaddy
album than your stack of old Jesus Lizard CDs. Malkmus has
put away his bratty thing that has so far been his trademark
in his solo career and opted for what can only be called Adult
Indie. I mean there are tinges of The Steve Miller Band in
there! The tunes are less cutesy and pop-laden. There aren't
the light, breezy tunes of the last couple of albums. He's--and
I know it sounds like a bad thing, but it's actually good--more
of an adult. Good stuff.