:tramp:
Great review, you actually hit the nail on the head - a record that only makes sense in it's own wonky reality, made to be heard in one sitting. How can a band sound so off-balance and out of time whilst being tight and professional?
I have no idea but the clean production on this enhances the songwriting more so than CR,CR, IMO.
I have really fond memories of this album, not exciting enough to recount for strangers but significant to me. Happy songs.

Used to think the artwork was waste but I'm really fond of it now. Pavement?

Wowee Zowee should have had one more point than Slanted & Enchanted.

Rating them the same to me is a bit of a cop out in my own twisted logic ;)

Y'know, I thought that too, and then I realized that they both do the exact same thing - they define the band at two opposite points in their careers. One of them is flawless in its cohesive, punky statement and the other is flawless in its absurdity. Both Slanted and Wowee are equally great points to start from if you haven't heard anything by Pavement prior :)

I'm especially liking this discography review you have going so far, Roygbiv. I'm actually looking into Pavement's first album right this moment.

I'm honoured you found my review helpful. Give Slanted some time - it's not the most accessible album of all time, but there's incredible depth to discover.

The pattern so far: Pavement’s second album sounded nothing like their debut, and their third album sounded nothing like their second album, instead sharing the same philosophy and energy as their debut. Brighten The Corners, Pavement’s most underrated album, once again skips influences to sound as refined as their second album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain as opposed to its predecessor, Wowee Zowee. This makes the album more accessible, but less dense than Slanted & Enchanted and Wowee Zowee.

The reason why it’s so underrated is due to its derivative approach and mostly predictable moments. I say mostly because nobody will see some of the album’s jokes coming, especially in album opener “Stereo,” hands down Pavement’s most hilarious track, ever. But while Wowee Zowee would consistently keep a smile on your face, slowly unravelling its madness as the years go by, the fun moments in Brighten The Corners are few and far between and insubstantial, making for a very funny first few listens but it just doesn’t hold a candle of longetivity.

Anyways, here’s why I think it’s an underrated album: despite its generally derivative nature, the album is filled with hooks and singable verses the same way Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain was, albeit more prominently, but unlike CR, CR, Brighten the Corners is much, much more cohesive, making for an easier listen-through.

It doesn’t have the lasting appeal that Wowee Zowee has, nor does it have the immediate hooks that Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain has, and it doesn’t sound like Slanted & Enchanted both in terms of production and attitude, so Brighten The Corners sits comfortably in a grey area, allowing the listener to shape-shift it to their liking, thinking whatever they of from it. If it I was a kid in high school it would be a subtly hilarious but mostly shy freshman that is just too nice to fight back the school bullies. It’s a sweet album, but it gets lost within Pavement’s more confident musical statements.

I went through the album twice and still feel I've barely touched the surface of Slanted, there's definitely alot going for it. I was meaning to check Pavement out years ago, but that meaning had been rusted in the back of my head. @_@

If you need any of the albums I can sort that out for ya.:beer:

I listened to Slanted & Enchanted a couple times today. I like what I heard but it didn't necessarily blow me away and I'm not sure if it will grow on me. I'm going to give Crooked Rain a try in a few days, which will hopefully give me a better idea of them.

Trust me, that's what happened to me when I started listening to it. Then it became my favourite album until the same thing happened to me with Wowee Zowee. Pavement is just that kind of band. Give it weeks when songs start popping into your head randomly.