Pavement

The Secret History, Vol. 1 (2015)

RENALDO69

Pavement could have and should have been bigger on MTV circa 1994. "Cut Your Hair" felt like that was the bullet that barely missed its mark. Nonetheless, their cult following has kept them alive as well as so many emo/indie bands nowadays that continue to spread the abrasive alt-rock magic Pavement and many others like them carved out. The Secret History, Vol. 1 is a new, 30-song anthology collecting EPs, B-sides, alternate versions of tracks, compilations tunes, sessions from the radio circuits as well as live recordings. It's pretty intimate and will be deeply appreciated (especially the outtakes) if you're a fan like me.

"Cut Your Hair" doesn't make its way on this but what precluded it in "Summer Babe" manages to kick your teeth in. It's a distorted indie jam which singer/guitarist, Stephen Malkmus, takes for a new spin yet it feels familiar to what we knew. A lot of the tracks feel so experimental and carefree, much like this, and I love they abandon the mainstream pop appeal and just cut loose. "Greenlander" is another lo-fi, tension-ladled track that's as emo as it gets. The songs aren't that catchy nor anthemic but still register will a lot of impact because of how raw they feel and how vulnerable the songs emerge. Then again, you expected anything less? The songs you know are stripped down and reassembled so smartly and with such an inviting ease. It really lures you in, no matter what you thought of the parent tracks.

From some of their radio sessions, as with the ones recorded for the BBC's John Peel, Pavement goes bare-boned over organs with Malkmus doing his best Lou Reed impression over scratchy reverb. The feedback off the amp slays as he waxes on and on. It's deadpan yet such a crooner that you can't help but sway as his words go rollicking. The same follows suit for "Kentucky Cocktail" - a bass-heavy, dark melodic rocker for fans of The Pixies. Then there's the high-energy "Box Elder" from Brixton (1992) to kick things up a notch and keep the pace and overall momentum flowing. There's a lot of value for money here because there's so much content. Original, exclusive and even if you heard it before, there are other tracks you really haven't had a chance to dive into. These songs have been floating around for years but as they're now collectively bound, there's something a bit more at play. Together they mix so much better. The Secret History, Vol. 1 is a bundle that reiterates what could have been. Pavement deserved better.