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Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
Pig Lib
Stephen Malkmus, jam-band guitar hero? Yes, among other things. On his second solo album, the former Pavement frontman and indie-rock crown prince known for inscrutable lyrics and slacker anthems has gone prog-rock. Malkmus has such a gift for melody that he can be captivating even when he sounds like he couldn’t give a toss. Here, though, he perks up, and “Pig Lib” benefits greatly. You’ll still have a hard time figuring out what he’s singing about, but with tunes this challengingly knotty and breezily enchanting, who cares what they mean?