Review

Pavement's Father to a Sister of Thought single contains the somewhat underwhelming title track, taken from the band's Wowee Zowee album, and two B-sides of differing quality. "Father to a Sister of Thought" isn't Pavement's finest hour; it's a lazy-sounding song played mostly on what sounds like a slide guitar or a guitar put through a sound-effects processor set on country. Truth be told, it works better as a single than it does on Wowee Zowee, since it's a somewhat traditional song showing Pavement in their slow, psychedelic mode, and the album contains such a broad range of styles. One of the reasons Wowee Zowee was so charming was because it displayed all of the bands influences up against each other with no breather for a listener. Had most of the tracks been released as singles, like "Father to a Sister of Thought" here, the merit of individual songs would be more apparent. "Kris Kraft" is the more interesting of the two B-sides. It's a bubbly, exuberant good time, seeing Pavement in full-bounce mode; diehard fans know that's when the band shines brightest. The song sees Stephen Malkmus singing about beach clubs, tacky surfer clothes, and other sea imagery. The band couldn't sound more together as a unit, and the song almost suggests a fun, live recording rather than something put together in a studio. Bob Nastanovich's goofy sound effects add wacky depth to what might be Pavement's most assured recording. "Mussle Rock" is a different story. It's a Scott Kannberg number, which means it's more moody and less hook-heavy than most Pavement songs. Most of the instruments sound subdued, as Kannberg repeatedly sings "how will I know/how will I know." With a touch of organ and some distant, virtuoso guitar work buried in the mix the song falls a bit flat, but charms at the same time. Father to a Sister of Thought isn't the best Pavement single to seek out, but "Kris Kraft" makes it worth a listen.