\I rock like a beast,"" Stephen Malkmus declared in an interview after the break-up of his former band, Pavement. It wasn't as much of a statement as it was a realization--without the restrictions of being in an established rock band (the best rock band of the '90s, for that matter), Malkmus was free to pursue whichever path he wanted. Although his decision to dedicate himself to straight-forward rock 'n' roll wasn't reflected on his enjoyable self-titled solo debut, which cast him as an unlikely singer-songwriter with an affinity for David Bowie-esque pop, it certainly manifested itself during his subsequent live shows and on his latest album, Pig Lib, where his guitar playing finally takes center stage.
Those familiar with Pavement know that Malkmus guitar solos are a thing of beauty. Although in their purest form, Pavement solos typically begin with a staccato noodling that seamlessly culminates into something both commanding and lyrical, they're never formulaic. Pig Lib makes excellent use of these solos, especially on tracks like the nine-minute ""1% of One,"" a song recalling Television's ability to build a compelling series of solos from an infectious guitar hook, or ""White Mountain Bridge"" which finds Malkmus in all-out Hendrix mood.
The increased guitar presence never detracts from the songs, which shine even by Malkmus' standards. ""Craw Song,"" for instance, is a short parable about unrequited love that provides a counterpart to ""Jenny and the Ess-Dog"" from his solo debut. The track's success all but ensures that all future Malkmus releases will contain one of these obligatory light-hearted narratives, although they are the lyrical exceptions on his albums. Pig Lib supplies plenty of the same cryptic, declarative lyrics we've come to expect from a Malkmus release. Several tracks allude to animals, but these references co-exist peacefully with Malkmus' familiar motifs of relationships and architecture. The album's irresistible ending track, ""Us,"" ties all these salient themes together as Malkmus laments, ""I don't really know your taste in ceilings,"" before adding a line about talking to a panda. It's a testament to the sincerity of his delivery that these lyrics actually convey a great deal in context.
Malkmus' promise that Pig Lib would be more of a collaborative effort with his backing band, the Jicks, was a smart decision because this band dynamic is largely responsible for making these performances so superior to those of his solo debut. The rhythm section, drummer John Moen and bassist Joanna ""please-stop-referring-to-me-as-Elliott-Smith's-ex-girlfriend"" Bolme, is surprisingly tight and well-suited to Malkmus' loose compositions and they provide some essential backing vocals as well. On tracks like ""Us"" and ""Ramp of death,"" breezy, wistful numbers that evoke Wowee Zowee's best moments, Moen and Bolme's voices are gentle and serve to tie the song together, but on the sing-along choruses of ""Water and a Seat"" and ""Sheets"" they can be as shrill, piercing and ""rock 'n' roll"" as anything ever recorded.
Although everything that Pavement recorded was pure gold, their later attempts to record cohesive albums always lost some of their earlier energy and spontaneity. The Jicks have managed to overcome the mutual exclusivity of these elements; Pig Lib is as energetic, spontaneous and as cohesive of an album as anything Pavement recorded--an instant rock classic with unlimited replay value.
