- Stephen Malkmus is a name synonymous with jangly guitars and laconic, off-beat lyrics. Despite accruing a venerable career and a die-hard fan base off these traits, Malkmus offers much variation on his latest offering, Groove Denied. Although the man extricated himself from his former band before the turn of the century, his name is still contiguous to Pavement — one of the most revered indie-rock bands of the nineties. Consequently, Malkmus has retained his loyal following by releasing consistently great music under his own name over the last twenty years. Despite this penchant for consistency, the latest release could be the outlier in terms of its timbre, with Groove Denied boasting drum machines, wavy synths and muffled vocals. However, fans will find that the album is not a complete departure from Malkmus’ prior aesthetic as they continue through, with later tracks offering familiar acoustic and electric guitars.
Whether it was intentional or not the album is dichotomous. While about half of the tracks are electronic and the other half are rock, they're all tied together by the overall lo-fi tone of Groove Denied. Initially, the contrast is stark: opener, Belziger Faceplant setting the scene with electronic rhythms. Malkmus’ proclivity for jagged indie-rock, however, exposes itself before long. This is evident on tracks such as, Come Get Me and Rushing The Acid Frat. While the music enters some regions Malkmus has not previously traversed, the vocals and lyrics are familiar territory, with Malkmus’ deadpan, Lou Reed-style delivery as omnipresent as ever.
One of the highlights on the album is fourth track, Come Get Me which gifts the listener a first taste of rock from the album. On Come Get Me, Malkmus’ trademark wordplay is also on display with lines like, “out on a limb here / I can’t walk,” and “no one is looking / No one cares”. Another shiny ornament is closing track Grown Nothing which showcases steady drums, gentle acoustic guitars and warped synthesisers around a piano melody that follows Malkmus’ voice. The result is a sweet and plaintive song that serves as a brilliant conclusion to a pleasantly chaotic album.
- Jon Cloumassis.