Brighten the Corners

From UrbanHymnsPavement’s fourth full length was released in 1997, a time where the indie/college rock and alternative scenes Pavement emerged from was at a crossroads, looking more and more like the end of an era. But with every ending there are beginnings, and every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. And on ‘Brighten The Corners’ there’s this sense of just that: a band with a distinct style and aesthetic evolving, transitioning to something more focused; dare I say “mature” and less “slacker” or “sloppy” as conveyed on their previous releases. That’s not to say they fully abandon their lo-fi, slacker rock roots; it’s still on here throughout the album, and they absolutely nail it on songs such as the terrific opener “Stereo,” “Embassy Row,” and “Date With IKEA.” With the help of former R.E.M. and Game Theory producer Mitch Easter, ‘Brighten The Corners’ is an album that has aged considerably well, arguably more-so than any of their other body of work (not to say the rest of their work hasn’t or is diminished as it certainly has not). Previous Pavement albums frontman Stephen Malkmus had been known for being very cryptic lyrically, never one to convey his thoughts or feelings. While that still (mostly) remains true here, there’s moments here where he allows for vulnerability to show, acknowledging “I’m an island of such great complexity” on “Shady Lane”, asking “I trust you will tell me if I am making a fool of myself” on “Fin” or revealing “If my soul had a shape/then it is an ellipse” on “Blue Hawaiian”, a rather interesting shape for anyone to use to describe themself- unless it’s Malkmus, which actually kinda makes sense and is expected. As ‘Brighten The Corners’ has aged I have also noticed in contrast to their other albums is stylistically it doesn’t have as much of a “time stamp” as their more accomplished and celebrated works. Going back and listening to ‘Slanted & Enchanted’ it’s clear to hear that early 90’s lo-fi, indie ideals that was emerging, while ‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’ and ‘Wowee Zowee!’ convey the (at the time) bigger, more polished sound that defined the 90’s alternative music genre. But those sounds, those ideals never fully seem that way on ‘Brighten The Corners’, and that’s what I personally love about this album. Hearing the sound of a band that’s not only maturing and refining their sound, but also embracing it. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read this; if this is your first time listening to ‘Brighten The Corners’ or a personal favorite like mine, I hope this provides a great opportunity to share and appreciate this wonderful album. Take care, be safe, and enjoy the tunes!