Pavement - Quarantine The Past: The Best Of Pavement
A fitting testament to a group whose influence extends far wider than their modest sales would suggest.
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Over a decade since they last set foot in a recording studio comes a career spanning best of from the newly reformed Californian alt-rockers. What we are treated to is a 23 song collection which brings together material from each of Pavement's five studio albums alongside a handful of rarities, albeit sequenced by the highly scientific process known as pinning the tail on the donkey. Such an approach is often symptomatic of an artist trying to cover up a particularly lean creative spell but this is far from the case here as the quality watermark barely dips from start to finish.
The way in which the band manage to incorporate a raft of ideas, tempos and melodies into individual tracks is refreshingly different, setting them apart from a wave of similar bands and creating an engaging listener experience throughout. They could have also given pre break-up Oasis a master class in the art of ending a song before it outstays it’s welcome. Just listen to 'Two States' or the gloriously deft shouty pop-grunge of 'Debris Slide' which pop their clogs short of two-minutes for further proof.
Pavement’s trump card is the sheer originality of frontman Stephen Malkumus’ lyrics which span the whole spectrum from outrageously leftfield to strikingly observant, displaying a confident eruditeness that is sorely underrated. 'Embassy Row' sees him at his most angry, trading word-blows with politicians and the rich in his own unique way whilst the country tinged 'Range Life' is an interesting ode to life on the road which sees touring partners Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots subjected to a string of witty put downs. When he turns his hand to affairs of the heart we get the heart wrenching melancholy of 'Here' and the roses and chocolates romanticism of 'Spit On A Stranger' which showcase another side to this hugely gifted talent.
Whilst their biggest UK hit 'Carrot Rope' is notable by it’s absence, the radio friendly likes of 'Shady Lane', 'Cut Your Hair', 'Stereo' and 'Gold Soundz' are all present and correct. They have lost nothing of their instant appeal and demonstrate a band capable of writing killer hook ridden songs with effortless ease. Along the same lines, 'Date W/Ikea' with it’s feedback punctured vocals is surely the greatest Pavement single that never was though it’s ideas have been subsequently plundered by the likes of Eels and The Strokes for recycling purposes.
Whist contradiction can be found in the claims of the opening track that “you can never quarantine the past”, this is a fitting testament to a group whose influence extends far wider than their modest sales would suggest. Some of their notoriously obsessive fans will scrutinise the track listing with near military like precision but this is a flab free collection that manages to capture the essence of what makes Pavement such an important part of modern music history.
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