Stephen Malkmus, former frontman of the hugely influential lo-fi ’90s indie group Pavement, is still going strong, and his latest and fourth solo album “Mirror Traffic,” is further proof of his vitality as an artist. Coming off the success of a 2010 reunion tour, he displays a wealth of talent and proves he is still one of the most vital independent music elder statesmen around.
“Traffic'” rambles and swerves a bit, but its commitment to great songwriting and its willingness to step outside the comfort zone puts it alongside some of Pavement’s better work. A lot of this can be attributed to producer Beck Hansen, a fellow ’90s journeyman who finds the right balance of tossed-off jangle and a hint of studio polish, drawing attention to Malkmus’ surprisingly supple backing group, the Jicks.
With Beck at the board, Malkmus and Co. run the entire ’90s gauntlet, covering raveup Dandy Warhols-style pop (“Tune Grief”), alt-country balladry (“Long Hard Book”) and singer-songwriter material with a slight quirk like Hansen himself (“All Over Gently”). Of course, Malkmus certainly shows some signs he’s aware of the 21st century, and the Jicks combine melodic jangle and considerable musical muscle to oblige. “Stick Figures in Love” is a vaguely Strokes-like workout with intricate guitar runs propelling it forward, much like a modern Deerhunter track, and “Brain Gallop” takes a White Stripes-esque chunky blues beginning and turns it into a jam surprisingly chilled out and light on its feel — a SoCal “Ball and Biscuit.”
Despite this variety and innovation, Malkmus remains the best in classic Pavement mode. Case in point, “Mirror Traffic”’s best track, “Share the Red.” A blissed out and smoldering slow jam, it shows its author’s peerless deployment of melody and mood with minimal trappings, and Beck shows his worth as a producer by recognizing this and letting the band do the work.
“Traffic” isn’t perfect. It rambles a bit with unsuccessful experiments (“Jumblegloss”) and the schizophrenic “Spazz” is aptly named, but Malkmus has never been one for concision. His latest outing shows a man totally in control of his songwriting and ability as a bandleader, and the fact that his wily humor and relevance is secure 20 years into his career makes this an essential buy for any fan of alternative music.