Pavement: The Secret History, Vol. 1

Ryan Reed on September 1, 2015

Pavement recorded five albums in their prime ‘90s run, but they cemented the classic indie-rock sound with their debut LP, 1992’s Slanted And Enchanted, blending homely hooks, barely-in-tune guitars and Stephen Malkmus’ zonked-out, wise-ass slacker charisma. It was a prolific year for Pavement, as evidenced by the plethora of B-sides, radio sessions and live tracks that populate , a new vinyl collection of the band’s assorted early days’ leftovers. Most of these tracks were previously released on the deluxe reissue Slanted And Enchanted: Luxe & Reduxe—and that’s where they belong, helping flesh out a masterpiece by giving a fuller scope of the band’s  creative headspace. Unfortunately, outside of the main LP, droning ditties like “Sue Me Jack” and “So Stark (You’re a Skyscraper)” just sound like scraps. (“I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing,” Malkmus shouts on “Nothing Ever Happens.” An accurate assessment.) Meanwhile, the ragged “Live At Brixton” set remains a completistsonly excursion, with the band stumbling their way through lesser versions of the album tracks. Only the excellent John Peel sessions—including the delicate “Secret Knowledge of Backroads”—have stood the test of time.

Artist: Pavement
Album: The Secret History, Vol. 1
Label: Matador