Stephen Malkmus — Face The Truth

With Face The Truth, we finally know what a Malkmus-minus-Jicks record sounds like — it's a lot like a Malkmus record with the Jicks. The lyrics still make sense and he's still dangling his foot on either side of the crispy folk weird indie pop line. That's not to say it isn't good, it's just a continuation into the solo world Malkmus has already established, with tracks such as "Pencil Rot" and "Freeze The Saints" acting as the respective cousins to Pig Lib's "Dark Wave" and "Us." Produced in Malkmus' basement, it's a little rougher than the Jicks' albums, but no less diverse. And though it's not a groundbreaking revelation, Malkmus once again acquits himself a creative songwriter and playful storyteller.

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