Album Review: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Wig Out At Jagbags

The sixth album of Stephen Malkmus' post-Pavement journey exhibits the same lackadaisical confidence and devil-may-care approach to his craft as ever, his sense of ironic detachment firmly intact but here augmented by a tangible sense of laid-back frivolity.

Structurally the songs eschew the jammy nature of much of his solo output, closest in feel to 2011's Mirror Traffic (although the overtly playful vibe of tracks like Houston Hades, Rumble At The Rainbo and Surreal Teenagers strongly recall his eponymous 2001 debut). Even though concise, there are few traditional song structures on offer, Malkmus still seeking to wrong-foot the listener at almost every turn with most tracks taking off on loose and ragged tangents to become mini-voyages in their own right. Singles, Laviat and Cinnamon And Lesbians, are standouts, the former utilising SM's trademark bendy sensibilities and velvet vocal flow to brilliant effect while the latter strays as close to the vibe of his alma mater as he's gone since their demise.

The fun vibe stretches from the title through the music and into the lyrics, and while it's always fraught with danger reading too much into his arch, inscrutable narratives a motif of ruminations on the past seems to bind things together. Above all, Malkmus seems at peace with himself and his place in the overall scheme of things and keen to indulge in art for art's sake – a noble (and irrefutably enjoyable) exercise for all involved.