Pavement’s breakup might have been one of the toughest things to witness. For nearly an entire two years we had to wait for new music from Stephen. Thankfully it sounded basically exactly like old Pavement. Everyone felt happy. I was glad to see it was Stephen with a different backing band. Perhaps everybody in Pavement ended up hating Stephen writing the songs and wanted him to leave. When Stephen found the Jicks, they must have been thinking “Sweet, Stephen writes the songs and we ride his coat tails for a couple of years.”
Those couple of years has become a full decade. Some people consider the Jicks to be one of the luckiest backing bands ever. Legend has it Stephen found them in a boring part of the Midwest working as a “Led Zeppelin” cover band called “Boron Blimp”. Once they had finished their set and planned on returning to their vans/homes, Stephen offered them indie glory (back when indie meant indie and not ‘Grammy Award Winners’). Jumping at the chance the two have been inseparable. A few people have created a nickname for the relationship with Stephen and the Jicks: they are also known as “Little Boo Peep and the sheep.”
I remember the joy I’ve had with Stephen’s solo project. One of the first songs I ever played on my radio show was “Pencil Rot” brand new, ready to be unleashed on the college airwaves. Actually, I was offered the extremely lucrative position of unpaid head of the college radio station but being shy I declined. Now I think back to those days of doing nothing but digesting perhaps unhealthy amounts of music looking for the next kick with a tinge of nostalgia. Compared to then I barely listen to any new music.
Later on I got to see Stephen play live at the Siren Music Festival in 2008. I talked up how good his performance would be to my friends. Thankfully you did not disappoint me. Seeing you made me realize how people preserved their cool for decades. You’re from the 90s, your music makes that abundantly clear. Each time I hear you it is revisiting the 90s all over again.
Your newest album comes out on August 23rd called “Mirror Traffic”. One track is available for streaming thus far though I expect it will leak sometime in late July/early August. Perhaps you’ll benefit from a ‘90s wave’ I see approaching us with the disinterest of millions of slackers. I mean you even used Beck as your producer, if that doesn’t scream 90s, I don’t know what does. The first track you’ve given us sounds like every other track you’ve ever written for any band you’ve ever been a part of. Consider that as the highest compliment. When so many musicians change their styles over and over again, others make essentially the same (or similar) albums. Each release might be interchangeable with any other.
What will the critical reaction be? Honestly, I think it might not be that receptive. Since Pavement is now a rather old (but not too old band) their most adamant fans have stopped being music reviewers and moved on to actual real jobs. Not being old enough means they have not yet been considered a major influence for enough up and coming bands to receive warm praise from younger generations. Their most dedicated fans tend to avoid online leaks, so when the album leaks (as all albums do) people will not have enough time to properly hype it. Instead the reviewer will give it some sort of ‘mediocre’ or ‘meh’ review. To escape this fate would require a great deal of work on Stephen’s part and Stephen isn’t known for anything approximating hype or work.
Pavement changed my life. Stephen’s later career work, while not in the same realm as his original work, still satisfies a certain need. In the probable case he reverts back to his old sound I’ll be perfectly happy. But if he decides to confound expectations and release an album harking back to Pavement’s glory days, I’ll be ecstatic. Either way I’m happy.