The Return of Stephen Malkmus and Pavement

SINGER AND GUITARIST STEPHEN MALKMUS BECAME ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED VOICES IN MODERN rock when his band Pavement arrived on the scene 30 years ago. The band recorded a number of critically-acclaimed records such as Slanted and Enchanted (1992), Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994) and Brighten the Corners (1997)—that have often appeared on music critics’ “best albums” lists. While Malkmus is hesitant to talk about his legacy today, his influence can be heard across the current crop of indie rock artists, whether it’s the frantic pop-punk of musicians such as Jeff Rosenstock or the groove-oriented, swaggering indie rock of a band like Wolf Parade.

After Pavement went on hiatus in 1999, Malkmus entered the second phase in his career as the leader of the Jicks, who have recorded seven well-received albums. Of late, he. Now he is making another stylistic and radical musical departure with , a ’60s-styled folk album due out on March 6. invokes both the simplicity of storytelling troubadours like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, but veers into psychedelia reminiscent of the The Doors. Nonetheless, this is a record for a 2020 audience.