Pavement’s “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” embodies the sarcasm of Gen X. It’s smarmy, silly yet smart. The record romanticizes life and shows a cynicism towards optimism.
“Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” is arguably underappreciated compared to Pavement’s other offerings. This album features lyrics that don’t seem to be serious. While the tracks are in a disjointed order, and there is nothing groundbreaking about it, it is a musical high.
The thing is, Pavement is a good band that produced a good album. Is it the best album? No, but they were able to create something that spoke to more people than others at the time.
While the album is unfocused in its ways, all the songs actually play off one another. “Fillmore Jive” and “Gold Sound” are different songs, but they hit an emotional spot with the listener.
Pavement is a great summer band. “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” is one that you turn up loud when the weather is good.
“Gold Soundz” proves the case that they are a summer band. The song encapsulates a summer fling. It perfectly conveys that summer love, the memories of that particular summer, and how they hit you later in life. While Pitchfork says that it’s the best song of the 90s, there is something to say about a song that can bring back that kind of positive memory in someone’s life.
“Cut Your Hair” is a great song. It begins with some girl bummed out on her boyfriend. What should she do? Cut her hair. In reality, her relationship in the song could be anything that doesn’t work out. Someone else has got the upper hand.
Even though Stephen Malkmus would probably argue and say that the song is not about his feelings on the music industry, that he was not screaming “career” at the end of the song, and it was “Korea.”
It does end with him singing, “Songs mean a lot, when songs are bought. And so are you. Face right down to the practice room. Attention and fame’s a career.” Then proceeds to scream “career” to end the song.
Pavement had the ability to capture such emotion with a sound that to many would hear as sloppy, random, and meaningless. “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” is far from that. The band masterfully made it seem that it was. The band is made up of educated slackers who created indie rock known to humankind
Must Listen To Tracks: Fillmore Jive, Gold Soundz, Cut Your Hair, Range Life
Buy Pavement’s Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain on Amazon.
