Brighten The Corners

Pavement's fourth proper LP seems to be a direct response to anyone who thought 1995's WOWEE ZOWEE sealed a downward spiral from indie-pop heroes to incomprehensible, in-joke nonconformists. On BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS, the rock hero in Pavement reemerges as the dominant stereotype, making the lyrical idiosyncrasies on which critics of the band like to harp into witty window-dressing. Nowhere is this dichotomy better heard than on the electrifying opener, "Stereo", which rages with anthemic power-chords and a rock-star chorus ("Hey! Listen to me! I'm on the stereo"), while also pondering the longest-standing mystery in rock, the voice of Rush singer Geddy Lee ("how did it get so high/I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy"). more...

Musically, BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS extends the rock tradition to the other side of Sonic Youth's dissonant discoveries while staying free of grunge's self-defeatist mentality. No longer a group of lo-fi pranksters, Pavement has tightened up into a mighty ensemble, able to jam like psychedelic maniacs (the closing "Fin") or fly by night like punks on speed ("Embassy Row"). Lyrically, Stephen Malkmus and co-conspirator Scott Kannberg (aka Spiral Stairs) have started questioning where they belong in a late-'90s world seemingly devoid of secrets and mysteries. Their declarations present yet another yin-yang to the Pavement whole: Kannberg's answers seem to lie in emotional stability, Malkmus' in the never-ending search itself. These uncertainties of dealing with one's unrecognised worth play out like an Irvine Welsh novel: the chapters full of spunky glee, the ending steeped in melancholy.

Spin (1/98, p.87)
- Ranked #11 on Spin's list of the "Top 20 Albums of the Year."

Village Voice (2/24/98)
- Ranked #10 in the Village Voice's 1997 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.

NME (12/20-27/97, pp.78-79)
- Ranked #24 in NME's 1997 Critics' Poll.

CMJ (1/6/03, p.18)
- Included in CMJ's list of "Top 25 College Radio Albums of All Time"

Rolling Stone (2/20/97, p.68)
- 4 Stars (out of 5)
- "...reaffirms what was likeable about Pavement in the first place: their angular but graceful melodies, their languorous anti-anthems and, of course, Malkmus' labyrinthine--and often funny or poignant--lyrical turns..."

Spin (3/97, p.99)
- 8 (out of 10)
- "...these tunes want you and they're not shy about it. They catch you up, charm, rouse, and freak you, and don't often ridicule....BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS is a guitar-rock album invigorated by hip-hop, in the same way MARQUEE MOON was a guitar-rock album invigorated by reggae..."

Q (3/97, p.110)
- 3 Stars (out of 5)
- "...Pavement have fallen into a more straightforward emotional gush on BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS....It's like Husker Du playing lo-fi pop punk with a spiked, almost newsworthy literate prosemaster, high on Pixies-flavoured twists..."

Melody Maker (2/8/97, p.49)
- Recommended - "...melodic, accessible and...Sixties-influenced....In the same way Pavement's early material could've been seen as a loving tribute to the off-kilter eccentricity of The Fall, their fourth album is Britpop seen through a trans-Atlantic cultural prism..."

Entertainment Weekly (2/21-2/28/97, p.125)
- "Curbing their smarty-pants indulgences, these wiseacres get down to business, crafting indie guitar rock that ebbs and flows with delicate power....BRIGHTEN proves there are still signs of life in this otherwise moribund genre." - Rating: B

Alternative Press (3/97, p.73)
- 3 Stars (out of 5)
- "...The licks are still crispy, and the hooks are still catchy. Toe-tappingly catchy, in fact, to the point that [BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS] is likely to appeal broadly..."