REAL EMOTIONAL TRASH - STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS
Stephen Malkmus has neatly kept all his parts in place on his fourth solo album: the languid lyrical nonsense, the obtuse stories that seem to go nowhere until they do (sometimes), the once-again-lengthy compositions and the ’70s-pop-prog trickery. (OK, that’s new.) They’re all so intact, in fact, that “Real Emotional Trash” feels often calculated and a little drifty, which is probably the point. Janet Weiss adds welcome flavor on drums and vocals, but overall, how much you enjoy rummaging through this “Trash” will probably depend on the amount of patience you have for Malkmus’ indulgences.
