Customer Reviews

Brighten the Corners

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I tend to think of both "Crooked Rain" and this disc as "suburban," but in opposite ways. "Crooked Rain" is largely about growing up in a suburb, feeling out-of-place amongst the daily scramble, and ultimately finding shelter in some kind of escape (although "Fillmore Jive" shows that rock n roll isn't necessarily the answer either). This one seems to be about returning to the suburbs as an adult, and coming to terms with it even if it isn't ideal. There are interesting cultural references in these songs which make it clear what Malkmus had on his mind or was observing at this time- see song titles like "Date with Ikea" (trendy budget furniture) and "Passat Dream" (trendy budget car).

I find myself reaching for this one first when I delve into my Pavement collection. It's subdued and textured, much less raw than the earlier work, and the songs all meld together into what feels like a story. It's about shady lanes and all that, but it's definitely not McCartney's first solo disc (famed for its feeling of "domestic bliss"). Malkmus is still critical of his surroundings, he's just found a way to come to terms with them. A very unique record and, like all of Pavement's work, necessary for a real understanding of 1990s rock n roll.

"Brighten the Corners" remains Pavement's most settled, accessable rock record, but the band doesn't eschew their musical sound or their indie roots. Rather, they just polish up the howly vocals and multilayered musical arrangements, and the result is pretty mellow and pleasant.

It starts off with the intermittently bombastic "Stereo," before shifting to the mellower "Shady Lane" and uplifted sound of "Transport is Arranged." A more raw sound enters with the fun rockers "Date with IKEA" and lighthearted "Embassy Road," while a plaintive confusion arrives with "Old to Begin." The remaining songs harken back to their indie roots, with the monotone jazziness of "Blue Hawaiian" and the weirdness of "We Are Underused" and "Passat Dream." It ends on a pretty strong note with the vaguely ominous "Fin," in which Malkmus requests, "I trust you will tell me/if I am making a fool of myself..."

"Brighten the Corners" serves to connect the lo-fi scratchiness of their early work to a more polished sound. Sure, there are some cries of "sell-out." But Pavement's sound transfers to the smooth studio sound without losing its complexity or raw magic.

The guitar riffs are as good as ever, starting and stopping one moment, and whirling around Malkmus's vocals the next; the percussion is a solid backdrop. There are also some coy beepy-bleepy snatches of mellotron, as well as what sounds like a wavery flute, giving a feeling of vague vulnerability to the lost-soul-type songs.

Malkmus will never sing in the opera, but his soulful monotone is wonderfully well-suited to the music. The songs themselves have a certain feeling of confusion, as if the world is bewildering and chaotic. "I heard what you said/the leaders are dead/now they're robbing the skies/you can hear the followers cry..."

Pavement was still in solid form in "Brighten the Corners." While it may not be the best, the mix of complex rock and thoughtful singing is enough to make it another budding classic by Pavement.

what can i say- i love pavement. suffice to say, i didn't really get into them until this album. there is not a bad song to its name, and i find myself singing malkmus' cryptic lyrics from this album more than from any of his others. and if you at least don't find a special place in your heart for "shady lane"- well, then, you're even too cynical for me. stephen malkmus continues to be one of my absolute favorites- even sans pavement with his solo career. he's a genius in the best possible way, and lets you feel like you're in on the joke, too.

This was the album that got reviewed - lengthily and insightfully - in the New Yorker. The drawing of the band, sm in particular, is indelible and caught their mood better than the band may have wished. Fin, especially, which is about as sad as nothing in particular could ever be. I like this album a lot. The lyrics are as hooked as a harpoon. Most pop songs tell forgettable little stories. Not these. Here the lyrics are more like music itself, hinting or evoking fragments of stories that don't really resolve into anything definitive. With the better songs one is left with a mood and a few easily-recalled snippets of memory that can be played back again and again whenever the mind calls on them. Unfortunately, pavement was never so popular that these fragments will be anything but your own; you won't be able to use them to communicate as you might use "I am the walrus" or "napolean in rags." Still, you will be richer for adding pavement to your inner life, and you will be delighted (rather than embarrassed) when these bits of music and words emerge unbidden into your thoughts.

On first listen, the songs on Brighten the Corners seem to blend together into an extended mid-tempo ballad. Certainly, it lacks some of the dynamism and punch of Slanted and Enchanted or Crooked Rain. Give it a few listens, though, and the album creeps up on you with its own quirky combination of serene ballads (Type Slowly, Shady Lanes, Old To Begin) and spaced-out anthems (Stereo, Embassy Row). Brighten The Corners' mellow production was a bit of a shock to longtime fans (as you can tell from other reviews), but beneath the R.E.M. like production is Pavement at their ironic, lovely best.

Brighten The Corners is typical of most Pavement releases in its sound - as with The Pixies, Yo La Tengo or Elliott Smith, the quietest, most tranquil phrases are often buttressed against an abrasive wall of guitars. Lead by Stephen Malkmus, song structures are eclectic and complex. If you find yourself tracking The Pixies' chord structures, or trying to figure out Sonic Youth's many tunings, these guys are for you. In which case, you probably already know about them, but who cares - Pavement was brilliant. Sample the song "Stereo" - I rest my case. Love it! GENRES: Alternative, Indie Rock.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Cake, The Pixies/Frank Black/Black Francis, Beck, Nirvana.
MUST HEAR TRACKS: "Stereo," "Shady Lane," "Embassy Row."

"....and what about the voice of Geddy Lee/how did it get so high/I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy/I know him, and he does...." "Stereo"

This is an album that combines the jagged, out of tune guitars of Stephen Malkmus and Scott "spiral stairs" Kannberg with the former's canny and quirky lyrics to combine a treat for the ears. As you would expect from Pavement, greatness.

I still listen this cd every now and then. It's one of Pavements best. Every song is worth listening to. Plus the band seem to be becoming better muscians and Malkmus and Kannbergs lyrics are even stronger on this albulm. Still remains true to their indy rock roots. Best songs: The clever rocker Stereo, Starlings in Slipstream and the incredible ending epic Fin.

unlike TERROR TWILIGHT (which grabbed me right away), BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS was a real "grower" -- songs that sounded weak at first listen have blossomed into things of complex, enigmatic beauty. this is a stunning record in many ways, and it just keeps getting better with each listen.

BTC is not as thematically cohesive as Crooked Rain and not as meandering as Wowee Zowee, but the end result is the same as both those albums, the pinnacle of modern rock music. If you don't understand at first, and believe me, I didn't, just keep listening, eventually that first recognition of genius will peep into your conciousness, and then... life will unfold from the seemingly senseless lyrics of s.m. and the music will represent the structure of your mind.