Sparkle Hard
On his fetching seventh solo album, the witty and digressive songwriting of Stephen Malkmus becomes newly and delightfully grounded in the present day.
Brooklyn quartet Parquet Courts harness their collective voice on Wide Awake!, while Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks reveal a little more of themselves on Sparkle Hard, and OOOOO & Islamiq Grrrls join forces for the intoxicating Faminine Mystique. These, plus GAS and Low Cut Connie in this week’s notable new releases.
The laconic king of American indie adds another jewel to his jauntily-angled crown
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On his seventh album solo the former Pavement leader spools out golden tunes and warm lyrics
Sparkle Hard comes into focus slowly and stately, coalescing around crawling piano chords that soon get blown to bits by guitars -- thereby offering a neat encapsulation of how this, the seventh album Stephen Malkmus has made since disbanding Pavement in 1999, walks a fine line between the familiar and the unexpected.
The elder statesman of rock and former Pavement frontman returns with an album overflowing with hooks, and a hint of grace and gravitas.
When Matador Records introduced Sparkle Hard to the world in February, they debuted the single "Middle America," a jangly, laidback, wordy p...
This is the seventh Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks record, as has been noted by many reviewers. “Wow, that’s more than Pavement”, they
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Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks can't shake the sense they've become the ultimate middle-aged alt-rock comfort food on new LP 'Sparkle Hard'.
For Stephen Malkmus, being a mature artist and an irreverent goofball aren’t mutually exclusive.
Seventeen years and seven albums in and around his Jicks, Stephen Malkmus remains both fairly punctual and reliable in following contrary impulses,...
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks make a startling revival of seventies rock in our review of 'Sparkle Hard'
On their seventh album, the off-kilter ideas coalesce into big melodies and a more political stance
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Sparkle Hard review: Malkmus’ continued exploration of guitar-rock, psychedelia, funk, and progressive/classic rock is an inspiration to any artist wondering what post-fame can bring to their artistic resume.