Janet Weiss Makes Good First Impression as a Jick

Being a first time listener to Stephen Malkmus’s solo work, I didn’t know what to expect from him and The Jicks. All I had heard before I played the first track, “Dragonfly Pie”, a hot and heavy introduction to Real Emotional Trash, was that Malkmus still knew his way around a guitar. What I didn’t expect was a well-orchestrated ensemble of tracks that left me wanting more. In the title track, “Real Emotional Trash”, Malkmus and the Jicks brilliantly build up to a progression that defines this album. At 3:55 into the track, a beam of sunlight starts shining through the clouds and you get a feeling that everything will be alright. Malkmus’s guitar acts as a second vocalist throughout the album, especially in “Baltimore”.

Another highlight was newcomer Janet Weiss (drums), who does a superb job in her debut album as a Jick. She holds her own in “Hopscotch Willie”, and kills “Real Emotional Trash” and “Baltimore”. It seemed as though at times it felt like I was listening to a jam session, yet the tracks production quality was still very clean. There are moments during the album where some songs feel a little out of place (especially “Gardenia”), but maybe that’s why after listening to the disc I want to hear more. While Pavement is still Malkmus’s defining work, Real Emotional Trash is worth a listen. 

~TJK

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Vampire Weekend, Spoon, and Pavement