Mirror Traffic

Stephen Malkmus, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 23, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Matador Records
• ASIN: B0057OOQEU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,698 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Coming off a triumphant year of Pavement reunion shows, Stephen Malkmus returned to the studio with Beck producing to record his fifth solo album, Mirror Traffic. Early press reactions are calling this gorgeous, crystalline production "the album we've been waiting 10 years for him to make," and it certainly contains the most heartfelt and indelible songs he's written in years. Gone are the long guitar workouts and jams that marked the last couple of Jicks albums, replaced by incredibly catchy and endearing pop songs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AND THE MIRROR TRAFFIC AWARD WINNER IS..., August 23, 2011

By 

Andrew H. Lee "Constant Listener" (Snohomish, WA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mirror Traffic (Audio CD)

In celebration of an outstanding album from Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks I hereby present, in no particular order and without a conventional ending (hey, kind of like a Malkmus song), the MIRROR TRAFFIC awards:

Best Song With A Weird, Smart Guy, Do-Whatever-You-Want Punk Attitude = "Spazz"

Best Song Title = "Stick Figures in Love"

Best Run Of Consecutive Awesome Songs = Tracks 12-15: "Forever 28," "All Over Gently," "Fall Away," and "Gorgeous Georgie."

Prettiest Song = "Fall Away"

Most Hypnotic Repeating Guitar Part = "Stick Figures in Love"

"Hey, That Sounds Like" ____ Award = three-way tie:

"Fall Away" = sounds like The Cave Singers

"Jumblegloss" = sounds like the opener to an early 90's Seattle grunge anthem

"Long Hard Book" = opening guitar sounds like a long lost George Harrison solo track

Best Sing-Along/Crescendo-To-Falsetto Chorus To Relate To = "There's not much left inside my tank today..." from "Brain Gallop"

Best Surprise Guitar Solo Near the End Of A Song That Listeners With An iTunes Attention Span Might Miss = A little over four minutes into "Brain Gallop"

Best Use Of Profane Imagery In A Song = "I know what the senator wants, what the senator wants is a bl _ w j _ b" from "Senator"

Best Instant Atmosphere = "Long Hard Book" (although Malkmus blasts the atmosphere away with his guitar at the end of the song).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars he just wants to play, August 24, 2011

By 

Soferkins (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mirror Traffic (Audio CD)

"I have nothing in my head." It would seem Malkmus is being ironic, for this album proves the lyric completely untrue. Indeed, Mirror Traffic demonstrates the fun Stephen Malkmus still, some 10 years post-Pavement, wants to have. Playful and replete with unexpected turns, the album while only somewhat reminiscent of 90s Pavement, is more than ever a product of Malkmus' whim and spontaneity, as can be heard in each song's slight imperfection, a feature of Malkmus' work that I have always appreciated. Just wonderful. A definite must-buy!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Malkmus for congress!, August 23, 2011

By 

William Ramsay "Yaztromo" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mirror Traffic (Audio CD)

Fantastic album - There are the usual Malkmusian turns of phrase where words from opposite ends of the dictionary meet for the first time ("animus" and "lockjaw" please shake hands), the musicianship is slick (fewer solos this time, but the guitar soup is intense and flavorful, Janet adds some spicy drumming, and this time round Joanna throws out some really memorable basslines). What blew me away this time are the tunes - everything is melodic as the top 40 circe 1966, but always, ALWAYS with a twist. Favorite tracks are "Stick figures" and "Share the red" for the echoey ending, but seriously its worth the price for the cover alone.

Recommended.