Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks’ sixth studio LP Wig Out At Jagbags is the hammer that hits that final nail into the “let’s compare everything Stephen Malkmus does to his work as Pavement” coffin.
The record swings open its doors on Planetary Motion with the Malkmus and Jicks signature swirl twirl and whirl of guitars that greet a straight up and down verse format only to crash into a blurry chorus of low-fi fuzz: the band still own it.
Wig Out is riddled with plethora of sound, introducing instruments that have been sparsely exposed in previous Malkmus recordings.
The stellar ‘Chartjunk’ is triumphantly charged with uplifting brass as Malkmus throws his signature one-line punchers “but I don’t need your windbag wisdom” and “buddy, you’re just connected bones” as the track bursts at its seams into a Malkmus guitar driven sonic wail.
‘J Smoov’ delves deepest into the Malkmus’ musical state of consciousness rolling together ambient synthesisations, textured layering of guitar work, a stunning slow burning brass solo and of course, that all American boy Malkmus drawl of “darrrrlin”. It’s the unsuspecting shining star of the record.
Jagbags isn’t without its Wig Outs as the psychedelic Independence Street sees The Jicks tip their head to a more ’69 Woodstock jam a la Hendrix that disappointedly only spins for 3:01 minutes.
Malkmus’ fondness for pop sensibility has not been lost with age, represented on tracks such as ‘Houston Hades’ that will coax any listen to bop along to the band’s “do do do dos” which applies for the more irritating second single ‘Cinnamon And Lesbians’.
The undeniable force to be reckoned with from this Jagbags is the lassoing lead single ‘Lariet’. The infectiously hooky riff instantly evokes a nineties nostalgia (more than likely responsible by the creator himself) that heralds this track so damn accessible. An ironic or adoring homage to the past (it’s Malkmus, will we ever know?) the frontman tells “we lived on Tennyson and venison and The Grateful Dead/It was Mudhoney’s summer, Torch of Mystics, double bummer” before climatically jibing “we grew listening to the music from the best decade ever!” – the man’s touch cynical touch has not been lost.
Wig Out At Jagbags demonstrates one very simple notion: Stephen Malkmus does not make shit music.
