Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to conquer suburbia, November 16, 2004
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.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I'm on the stereo!, July 26, 2004
"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.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
i don't care what anyone says- it rocks!, May 9, 2001
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.
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by Pavement 
