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Brighten The Corners

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Pavement

 
Brighten The Corners
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Avg: 4.0 (651 ratings)

Pavement returns from a two-year absence even Pavementier

  • We Say...

    Review by Yancey Strickler

    The two-year stretch between Wowee Zowee and Brighten the Corners felt eternal. Pavement were on the road constantly, and the release of the Pacific Trim EP just whetted everyone's appetite.

    Listening to the Pavement catalogue straight through, you can feel that gap between Wowee and Brighten. Pavement felt a little older, a bit more settled. Whereas some bands turn outward as they develop, Pavement did the inverse — Malkmus' Malkmusisms became even Malkmusier, as album opener "Stereo" made hugely obvious from the get-go with its ridiculous lyrics and herky-jerked melody.

    I have mixed feelings on Brighten the Corners, as you can probably tell. "Stereo" and "Shady Lane" and "Date With Ikea" are all considered Pavement classics by this point, but none of those click with me at all. They feel forced where Pavement had once felt effortless, passive where Pavement had once been startling.

    It does have two great Pavement moments, however: "Type Slowly," a bit of a sequel to "Stop Breathing," and, most of all, "Transport Is Arranged," an earnest ballad that ranks among their best. The first chorus really exemplifies Malkmus at his best: "I know you're my lady/ But I could tremble I could flood/ A voice coach taught me to sing/ He couldn't teach me to love/ All the above." It's sincere and mocking, giving and knowing, and perfectly aware of its conflicts. And that goes for Brighten the Corners, too, come to think of it.

  • They Say...

    Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

    There's a difference between accessibility and focus, which Pavement illustrate with their fourth album, Brighten the Corners. Arriving on the heels of the glorious mess of Wowee Zowee, the cohesive sound and laid-back sarcasm of Brighten the Corners can give the record the illusion of being accessible, or at the very least a retreat toward the songcraft of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. And the record is calm, with none of the full-out blasts of noise that marked all of their previous releases. It would be easy to dismiss the absence of noise as mere maturity, or a move toward more accessible songcraft, but neither statement is entirely true. Brighten the Corners is mature but wise-assed, melodic but complex -- it's a record that reveals its gifts gradually, giving you enough information the first time to make you want come back for more. At first, the dissonant singsong verse of "Stereo" seems awkward, but it's all pulled into perspective with the gleeful, addictive outburst of the chorus, and that is a microcosm of the album's appeal. The first time around, the winding melody of "Shady Lane," the psycho jangle pop of "Date With Ikea," the epic grace of "Type Slowly," and the speedy rush of "Embassy Row" make an impression, but repeated listens reveal sonic and lyrical details that make them indelible. Similarly, Stephen Malkmus' hip-hop inflections on "Blue Hawaiian" and the quiet beauty of "Transport Is Arranged" unfold over time. While the preponderance of slow songs and laid-back production makes the album more focused than Wowee Zowee, it doesn't have the rich diversity of its predecessor -- "Type Slowly" comes closest to the grand, melancholic beauty of "Grounded" -- but it remains a thoroughly compelling listen.

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