Label: Echo Static
Release Year: 2000
Listen: Spotify / Apple Music
I mostly wanted to review this because of the freaky cover. It’s just wrong, right? But, actually I just wanted to see what a Pavement side project might sound like that’s not from Stephen Malkmus or Spiral Stairs. This one is the brainchild of their long time drummer, Steve West, and it definitely sounds like an album by a drummer. But not like a Phil Collins or whichever of the Eagles drummed and sang. Nah, this smacks of a dude who wasn’t sure what exactly was happening with his main gig and wanted to make some Frank Zappa music. Or what I imagine Zappa sounds like (never having been able to sit through more than 30 seconds of any of his songs).
But it’s not all as desperate as that. I mean it kinda is, but I choose to appreciate the eccentricities. That said, if you’re looking for a person who can actually sing, for instance, this ain’t for you. I mean West makes Malkmus sound like Pavarotti if that’s any indication. Since West is also the drummer on several Silver Jews albums, I thought perhaps he’d lean into that. And it does feel in moments that he’s applying some of that wry humor and slack-y style, but it’s fleeting. Instead the music feels like a mixture of some of Pavement’s more esoteric lo-fi fare (without the crazy lo-fi) overlaid with a Rentals Moog vibe on tracks like “Triple-E.”
And then there’s these more downcast kind of dreamy verging-on-psychedelia 70s stuff. It’s not quite Elephant 6 or anything, but the vibe is certainly there. Lots of voice modulation and piano plinking and a kind of gaussian weird throw-backy thing that can’t seem to decide what it is. But oddly British feeling at times — even in songs like “Cerveza” where they’re singing about drinking beer in Mexico. Or whatever is going on. I’m honestly at a loss to explain what it sounds like. Kind of muted and like someone listened to too many Belle & Sebastian records and drank a couple 40s or downed some ketamine before heading into the studio.
There does seem to be a focus on drinking here. Or at least that’s what I’m hearing. Especially on their Pink Floyd inspired track, “Liquor.” An almost intentionally draggy tune that would be at home on some Floyd cover band’s originals debut. But the album feels mostly like an experiment in sound pastiche and drugged-out chanting. Which I’m sure was fine back when Beck was doing it in the 90s, but it’s not a thing I ever enjoyed, nor am I into. I’m sure someone somewhere is into this very loose “charming” experimental stuff, but we all know that some experiments are just less successful than others.
