It's no surprise that Stephen Malkmus' first solo outing is not a big departure from his well-spent time with Pavement. As the backbone and main songwriter for one of the greatest bands of the '90s, his non-linear lyrical approach and chopped musical sense defined a big part of independent music. Sure, he's got a different rhythm section, but the Pavement stamp is all over his new material. If there's a main difference, it's a freer approach to lyrics: sillier and happier when he wa...  [+]