Reviews (page 2 of 7)
A toned down version of The Pixies with the sharp edges, excitement, weirdness and coolness removed. And without those fantastic guitars. Sorry 😞
So “Slanted & Enchanted” is a bit better than “Crooked Rain” – though not by much… Nothing exceptional from a creativity/originality standpoint, the musicianship is average at best, and whole the “lo-fi” sound isn’t as bad as “Crooked Rain”, but it’s still nothing to write home about… I just found this to be pretty dull all the way around TBH… I get the whole “…I just don’t give a shit vibe…” they are trying for – it’s just that they’re not all that good at it… I checked TIDAL’s highest-rated songs by Pavement, and the 2 highest from this album were the 7th “Here” & the 8th “Summer Babe” – and those are barely pedestrian efforts if you ask me, so not much to see here – move along…
That was...not great. Couldn't get into it. Abrasive even. Had to make myself listen all the way through.
Mostly painful to listen to.
I have a story for this album and presumably many folks out there have the same story. It was the heyday of Napster (though possibly Limewire by then) and there was a rumor that a new Weezer album would be out soon. Then one day it appeared in my downloads, except it was a fake -- it was actually Slanted and Enchanted, which I had never heard before. Weezer eventually released the Green Album, falling far short of what we had all been hoping for. But it was okay, because I had discovered Pavement. I know every word and it is pretty much the standard for what an indie album should be.
Sometime in late 1992 I went to see Sonic Youth at Brixton Academy. The opening band was a band I'd never heard of called Pavement. The next morning I ran to the record shop to by this album. (ok probably didn't run, but made my way swiftly)
Slacker Rock 101. Definitive 90's rock album that, much like The Velvet Underground, influenced so many contemporaries and bands to come (echoes we still hear today), despite never charting. Pavement's always existed like Nirvana and Sonic Youth's little brother; definitely related, but more jocular, fanciful and hopeful. Every time I spin this album, I love it more. Skipping a song on this feels like blasphemy; even something more haphazard and noisy Chesley's Little Wrists is only 1 minute long, shows the band's playfulness, and works in the album's flow. Seems like a fair price to pay to then get to sink into the warm fuzz of Loretta's Scars.
Such a brilliant, complex, unique sound. (DIY recording software has made it so easy for anyone with half an ear to produce something slick and seamless. I really miss the days when going it alone required an over-the-top obsessive drive and a ton of ingenuity, which in turn inevitably produced unique and expressive work.) Most importantly, it is one of those rare albums in which every song insists on being sung along to.
Trigger cut
Yes! Love this band. One of the best of 90s American alt-rock to my mind. I think Malkmus is a genius lyricist and love how all the punkish guitars just enhance the melody rather than obscuring it. The titles of the tracks are crazy, the songs are insane. So cool but nerdy at the same time, I adore this one.
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I must have listened to this album a million times back in the 90s. This was a fun one to revisit. 4.5/5 rounded to 5.
Pavement pulled off a pretty neat parlor trick by making an album full of irreverent, tossed-off songs with almost dadaist, non-sensical (some would say Fall-esque) lyrics sound important, like a statement. It has a lot to do with the quality of the songs, which marry ramshackle rhythms and structures with raw riffs and melodies, sometimes fierce jabs of distortion or noise and a low-fi, kitchen-sink ethic that showed they were astute students of the rock underground. The formula is a winning and invigorating, and it makes me pine for the days when indie rock still sounded dangerous and exciting.
A gamechanger for 90ies indie rock. And they got even better.
What a great album. It makes for an accessible Fugazi and foreshadows a sound that Weezer would capture and take advantage a few years later.
When Pavement first arrived on the scene I immediately thought that they were attempting to be the Minutemen but they didn’t have Mike Watt or D. Boon. I still feel that way. I have enjoyed Pavement’s recorded output over the years and the recent resurgence in interest with the release of the Pavement documentary makes this revisit timely. Summer Babe and Trigger Cut are still the best tracks on the record but like the Minutemen before them the mix of different time signatures, distortion and detuned guitars makes for a much varied and interesting take on what would become slacker rock. As an anti-companion to Nirvana this journey is most effective on some of the quieter tracks such as the lovely Here. Pavement were always dressed for success and this record really was a launching point for a new kind of indie rock destined to occupy college radio stations forever. Two States could have been a track off of Double Nickels on the Dime. Stockton and San Pedro - port cities and working class rock. The album still is interspersed after all these years and Pavement’s influence carries on today in bands like Parquet Courts, MJ Lendermen, Deerhunter and others. Not perfect but close. 5/5
Classic first album from a legendary band.
A lot to be said for this album. I just think it's perfect (though CR, CR is probably my favourite)
I love this band and this album although I came to Pavement after their breakthrough in the 90s. As others have said if this sounds derivative of other indie 90s music it's because those bands took that from Pavement. Lovely melodies, quirky lyrics and crushing loud guitars combined to perfection..
Pavement is another one of those bands that just can do no wrong. All of their albums are 5/5 (you could maybe convince me that one of them specifically is a 4/5 but ur gunna struggle to get me there). I’d say for me personally this is like my third favorite Pavement album following wowee zowee, and brighten the corners in ascending order. There’s just so much creativity and energy on this album. Like all of my favorite artists (Primus, Ween, System, Osees) nobody sounds anything like them. They are completely original both lyrically and sonically. And every now and then you can see when a band wants to be like pavement and maybe they’ll make a song similar to their style but literally no one sounds like pavement, except pavement. That’s what makes them so damn special and amazing. And for this to be their debut album is insane. Like this is as bold of a bedut album as you can make. And while it wasn’t this way originally, this album has really grown on me and it has become a true no skip album.
alsof het uit de losse pols geschud werd... maar wat een pols!
Interesting to go back and listen to this. Still lots of great stuff (and the deluxe version is worth it), but it definitely has a few more experimental tracks that are interesting but not essential. All their albums have worthwhile moments and it's hard to choose between this and CRCR, so good to see they're both represented
Pavement are one of the most consistent bands out there, if you like one of their albums you like them all. However, I almost never really came back to this one for some reason. I always liked it, but I think the "sloppyness" of it just put me off a tad compared to their other albums (Brighten the Corners is my favorite). I am glad I relistened to this now, because I rekindled my love of this album, and it will return to my regular rotation. Mid 5!
i did not relisten but i love this album so im just giving it 5 stars mwah <3
Absolute kings
another favorite 90s listen. i will probably always love this album, and it is good to hear it again in the context of this project. catchy tunes, goofy weirdness, and a great ballad-y song in "here". just great from beginning to end. "summer babe" is a top 5 single of all time for me.
Definitely a unique sound and approach to lyrics.
love Pavement
Pavement ❤️
Great Album
Top 10
About time! Honestly this isn’t the one pavement album I would pick but it is hugely important. It’s by far their roughest release but it’s confident. Too many to list but Summer Babe, Here, Zurich is Stained are the standouts. They’d go on to experiment more with their sound but with this debut the kings of slacker indie made their mark.
10/10. Loud, abrasive, generational.
The album is so impactful, it tricks me into feeling “20-something in the 90s” nostalgia, despite the fact I was born in 1993 and never heard this until around 2011. The emotions in this record are timeless - as long as there’s angsty, artsy 20-somethings, this record will forever ring true.
This is one of those albums that I hated the first time I heard it and I was firmly in the Pavement is overrated camp. And then I kept listening to it and realized I loved it. I have no idea why but hey some things defy explanation
the opening seconds of summer babe are as envelopingly sweet as literally anything ive heard in my life. the record as a whole is impressively varied underneath the fuzz, but stays so warm and big hearted even in the moments where it's most channeling the spirit of mark e smith. i particularly love how in tune the band is with the specific sound palate of their lo fi setup, genuinely curious and enthusiastic about all the colors they can coax out of it rather than hiding behind the scrapiness with any feeling of limitation or embarrassment. really, im not sure any two songs sound the same...its a bit like Is This It in how utterly Attainable it makes the creation of a masterpiece feel. it took me a long time to realize it, but i like art primarily because i like People
One of my 10 favorite albums of all time.
Possibly the platonic ideal of noise pop. Throughout the album the fuzzy guitar and lackadaisical vocals are fighting with the fact that this is full of blissful pop hooks. Sometimes that leads to noisy freakouts like "Conduit for Sale!" Other times it leads to perfect pop ditties like "Zurich is Stained" and "Loretta's Scars." But the best songs are the ones where those sounds meet. "In the Mouth a Desert" has two or three hooks, and the guitar that makes up the last one is one of the best guitar tones in indie rock. The thumping drum sound is even better, especially on the album's best moment: the end of "Summer Babe." The lyrics are often obtuse, but when they coalesce into something relatable like the downtrodden opening of "Here" they elevate the album to another level. A perfect mix of sadness and coolness, and one of the best rock albums of the 90s, if not all time.
It took a long time for me to understand what was going on here but I’ve developed a deep appreciation of pavement and this is one of the best
I absolutely love Pavement and Slanted and Enchanted might be my favorite album of theirs. It’s a bit abrasive and odd at first but once you get on its wavelength, then it’s pretty perfect. The lyrics seem nonsensical but have a sort of poetry to them. The music is similarly off putting but becomes quite pleasing and captivating
Great noise and melody
Fuckin love Pavement me
Seminal. A fucking blueprint.
Nirvana who? Stream of consciousness lyrical style, not every revolution needs a fight Summer babe Trigger cut In the mouth a desert Here Perfume v
The greatest indie rock record of all time hands down full stop. Advertising good looks and who needs chops? With songs like these you don’t need a second drummer that can swim.
Impossible to be objective here, it’s just an amazing goddamn record that obliterates what you think rock can be and also happens to be catchy as hell. It’s by no means polished but dropping an atom bomb on “rock” “music” (whatever that is) shouldn’t be polished. Life-changing music that you can also jam out to. Love you Pavement.
This album is a perfect example of an on the one hand / on the other hand record—but one side of that equation so overwhelmingly outweighs the other that the end result is simply a great album. Not a 10/10, because it really does rattle and creak too much for that, but my god, what a joy it is to listen to. The real difficulty, listening now, is that it’s almost impossible to reconstruct just how fresh this must have sounded in 1991–1992, when it was recorded and released. That two-sided character has everything to do with how the album was made. The lo-fi quality isn’t a pose; it’s structural. This debut was literally recorded in a home studio, in ten days. Which is, of course, ironic. Yes, jazz records used to be cut in a single morning or afternoon—leaving the rest of the day to record another album, so the musicians could fund the next batch of heroin—but by 1991 it was far more normal to spend months in a studio. Pavement did not. That lo-fi approach didn’t disappear later—subsequent Pavement albums still sound rough around the edges—but Brighten the Corners would be the first to sound genuinely “professional.” So let’s start with the other hand. Of the fourteen tracks here, a few could easily have been left off (“Fame Throwa,” anyone?). Almost all of the songs would sound objectively better with a cleaner recording. Stephen Malkmus’s singing—he more or less is Pavement, by the way; can anyone actually name the other members off the top of their head?—is, charitably, unstable. And yet: who cares? Because the one hand is a gloriously fresh album packed with genuine gems, and throughout it all you hear the sheer pleasure of making music. It opens brilliantly with “Summer Babe.” “In the Mouth a Desert” is the next high point, even if Gary Young’s drumming—recorded in his own house, and soon to be his Pavement swan song—is a bit lumberjack-like. “Conduit for Sale!” isn’t a highlight, but it’s worth mentioning: it sounds like a hyperactive, drug-fueled ’90s reinterpretation of the baseball commentary from Paradise by the Dashboard Light. For me, the album really takes off in the final stretch, with a superb quartet: “Loretta’s Scars,” “Here,” “Two States,” and “Perfume-V.” “Here” is the obvious standout. It was memorably covered by Tindersticks, which is fascinating because Stuart Staples’s James Bond–baritone turns the song into something entirely different. It’s still the best track on the album, even if Spotify listeners don’t seem to agree. The Tindersticks version isn’t on Spotify—it was a B-side later collected on Donkeys 92–97—but you can find it on YouTube. Oddly enough, the closing track “Our Singer” is one of my personal favorites, while Spotify ranks it dead last. Music like this was copied endlessly throughout the 1990s, which is why its original shock value is no longer immediately audible. Bands everywhere adopted that ramshackle, half-finished aesthetic. As a devoted Studio Brussel listener back in the day, I heard Pavement’s fingerprints all over Belpop. Of course, Pavement weren’t alone: Guided by Voices loom large, and if you go back further, Big Star—especially Third / Sister Lovers—clearly left a mark. The difference is that Malkmus and Scott Kannberg were far more liberal with the distortion pedal. And look at that: I’ve now named all three musicians on this album. After this, Pavement would expand into a proper five-piece, complete with an actual bassist. None of this really matters. What matters is that Slanted and Enchanted is an eruption of musical joy. In all its imperfection, it comes remarkably close to perfect.
Album 800 now and I just realized that's two years now I've been at this project. It's been a constant source of stability through the last few crazy years. 2/3s done.
Blew my socks off.
One of the greatest indie albums of all time and it’s their debut!
Surprised about how much I liked this. Perfect indie rock album.
Pavement is the light to the Fall's dark. Just because I might prefer the Fall doesn't mean there's not enough for Pavement to carve out their own niche. While the Fall go for intense longer songs, Pavement chooses to go the opposite way while still keeping the style close enough to endlessly get compared to the former. It has taken me ages to "get" Pavement, but this listen finally did it. I thought the whole thing was pretty great along with the B-sides. The album cover is great as well at representing the music behind it. Not sure if this or Odelay is my favorite slacker rock album. Rating: 4.7
The album cuts a veering path that displays both an improvised feeling with a an unusual confidence. A combo of beatnik poetry and nods to The Fall, ragged post punk and just plain beauty it’s a jumbled collection that feels smart and wild all at once. Love this album.
A great album by a greatly overlooked and great band. One of my favorite outings from pavement only second to gold soundz.
Despite it being noisy and having odd guitar tunings, this album just evokes being totally chill. Yeah, we just making music. It's whatever. So cool
Favourite Pavement album and probably one of my favourite albums ever
Fuck I love Pavement. I always preferred Crooked Rain but I think Slanted might have made it's way into the top spot.
Classic! It just has this je ne sais quoi thing going on. Like on paper, the elements aren't all that exciting, but put together, sounding the way it all does, it clicks into place in a way that's extraordinarily satisfying. I tend to prefer Crooked Rain x2 but this one is honestly just as good. Must-listen #196
Feel like I appreciate this the older/more jaded I get.
Indie rock ain’t noise pollution
The slackest album ever. Just cause it sounds like they aren’t trying doesn’t mean this shit ain’t golden.
I have absolutely no idea what any of these dudes are singing about in these songs, but I absolutely love this album. It's an all-time "What the fuck is this garbage?" album from my youth. The jocks haaaaaated it.
Now this is what I call music! This isn't my favorite Pavement album but if you ask me again tomorrow it just might be!
TRUE REALLL.............. i love pavement and have always had a soft spot for them....!!!! i love how the guitars sound deeply.. This clicked with me immediately (probably because of my past love of pavement) and I had a lot of fun listening to it! Makes me want to play guitar myself again... Only downside is that it did start to feel same-y sometimes, but I didn't mind it too much tbf number one favorite(s): Jackals... , Conduit for sale!, Here, perfume-v favs: trigger cut/wounded, no life singed her, In the mouth of a desert no opinion: wrists
One if my favorite albums from one of my favorite bands. I hope there are more Pavement albums coming up on this list. If you had asked me to choose one Pavement album for this list, you'd still be waiting for my answer. I'm happy with this choice.
Sits alongside Bee Thousand as the "definitive" indie album. Hard to follow this one up, but they did it anyway!
What an honest rock record. This thing sounds like shit but in all the right ways. Hissy production, trashy guitars, raw vocals and crazed lyrics. A very cathartic listen!
A bona fide, stone cold classic. Every track transports back me to when I first heard it in ‘92 when it flung the doors open for me to a world of US alternative rock I’d previously paid little to no attention too (Fugazi, Husker Du, Superchunk, et al) Every track is a joy but I’ll always have a special place for Conduit for Sale! I can almost taste the warm cider…
Off the cuff remark: A wonderful slice of indie rock. Standout Track: The out-of-kilter-pop of "Summer Babe" is wonderful, the most un-Pavement like "Here" is a delightful ache of a song. Revisit?: Again and again.
You have to love the anger and aggression in Stephen Malkmus' voice here (but not on Here!). I love the lo-fi rawness of it all, along with the odd anti-song at the end of some songs. Liked Songs Added: Summer Babe - Winter Version In the Mouth Of A Dessert Loretta's Scars Here Perfume-V Fame Throwa Jackals, False Grails: The Lonesome Era Our Singer
## In-Depth Review: *Slanted and Enchanted* by Pavement *Slanted and Enchanted*, released in 1992, is widely recognized as a foundational indie rock album. Pavement’s debut is a landmark of lo-fi aesthetics, cryptic lyricism, and a slacker ethos that would shape the sound and attitude of alternative music for decades. This review examines the album’s lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, offering a balanced view of its strengths and weaknesses. --- ## **Lyrics** Stephen Malkmus’s lyrics on *Slanted and Enchanted* are famously enigmatic, often described as surreal, fragmented, and resistant to straightforward interpretation. The words are delivered with a mix of irony, wit, and emotional detachment, often feeling like a stream of consciousness or a collage of images rather than traditional narrative songwriting. - **Surreal Imagery:** Lines such as “Lies and betrayals / Fruit-covered nails / Eeeee-lectricity and Lust” from “Trigger Cut” exemplify the album’s penchant for abstract, almost nonsensical phrases that evoke mood rather than tell a story[1][5]. - **Irony and Sarcasm:** Malkmus’s lyrics often mock rock stardom and the music industry, as well as the expectations of sincerity in songwriting. There’s a sense of poking fun at the seriousness of rock while still crafting memorable lines[6]. - **Emotional Ambiguity:** While the lyrics can be playful or absurd, there are moments of genuine vulnerability, as in the ballad “Here,” where Malkmus sings, “I was dressed for success / But success it never comes / And I’m the only one who laughs / At your jokes when they are so bad”[6]. The ambiguity between sincerity and irony is a defining feature. **Pros:** - Inventive, memorable lines that stick with the listener. - Lyrics reward repeated listening and interpretation. - Blend of humor, detachment, and occasional poignancy. **Cons:** - Obscurity can alienate listeners seeking clear meaning. - Some may find the wordplay self-indulgent or insincere[2][4]. --- ## **Music** Musically, *Slanted and Enchanted* is a masterclass in making the most of limited resources. The album is characterized by its lo-fi sound, jagged guitars, and a sense of controlled chaos. Pavement draws from punk, post-punk, and classic pop, creating an eclectic yet cohesive sound. - **Lo-Fi Rawness:** The album’s sound is intentionally rough, with hissing tape noise, muffled vocals, and guitars that veer between jangly melodies and abrasive distortion[2][3][6]. - **Hooks Amidst Chaos:** Despite the noise and dissonance, Pavement crafts infectious hooks and melodies, as in “Summer Babe (Winter Version)” and “Trigger Cut.” The songs often sound like they’re on the verge of falling apart, but this instability is part of their charm[3][4]. - **Eclecticism:** The album careens from punk-influenced rockers (“No Life Singed Her,” “Conduit for Sale!”) to dreamy, almost ballad-like tracks (“Here,” “Zurich Is Stained”). Spoken word passages and unexpected tempo shifts add to the unpredictability[3][6]. - **Guitar Work:** The interplay between Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg’s guitars is central, with layers of feedback, arpeggios, and off-kilter riffs creating a distinctive sonic palette[6]. **Pros:** - Infectious melodies hidden within noisy arrangements. - Eclectic yet cohesive; each song feels part of a larger whole[3]. - The rawness gives the album authenticity and immediacy. **Cons:** - The “sloppy” playing and rough edges may be off-putting to some. - Some tracks can blur together due to similar production values. - Occasional accusations of derivativeness (e.g., similarities to Sonic Youth or The Fall)[2]. --- ## **Production** The production of *Slanted and Enchanted* is integral to its identity. Recorded on a shoestring budget with a 4-track recorder, the album’s sound is unpolished by design. - **Lo-Fi Aesthetic:** The vocals are often buried in the mix, guitars are compressed and ultra-distorted, and feedback is a constant presence. This creates a “wall of sound” effect that is both chaotic and intimate[2][6]. - **DIY Spirit:** The rough production is not a flaw but a deliberate choice, aligning with the band’s anti-rock-star stance. The album sounds like it was recorded in a basement, which adds to its underground credibility[6]. - **Cohesion Through Imperfection:** Despite the lack of polish, the album feels unified. The consistent production values tie the eclectic songs together, making the album feel like a single artistic statement rather than a collection of disparate tracks[3]. **Pros:** - The lo-fi sound is a key part of the album’s charm and influence. - The production matches the band’s ethos and lyrical content. - Adds a sense of authenticity and intimacy. **Cons:** - Some listeners may find the sound muddy or fatiguing. - Lyrics and musical details are sometimes lost in the mix[2][6]. - Not for those who prefer clean, high-fidelity recordings. --- ## **Themes** *Slanted and Enchanted* is thematically slippery, but several threads run through the album: - **Anti-Rock Star Attitude:** The album is a “sardonic laugh addressed to the musical star system,” mocking the idea of rock stardom and the seriousness of the industry[6]. - **Suburban Ennui and Alienation:** There are references to suburbia and a sense of being an outsider, reflecting the band’s origins and the broader context of early ’90s alternative culture[2]. - **Irony and Sincerity:** The interplay between irony and genuine emotion is central. The band often seems to undercut their own seriousness, but moments of vulnerability shine through[5][6]. - **Fragmentation and Disconnection:** The cut-up, collage-like approach to lyrics and song structure mirrors themes of fragmentation and disconnection, both personal and cultural. --- ## **Influence** *Slanted and Enchanted* is one of the most influential indie rock albums of the 1990s. Its impact can be seen in several areas: - **Lo-Fi Movement:** The album helped legitimize lo-fi production as an aesthetic choice, inspiring countless bands to embrace rough edges and DIY recording methods[6]. - **Indie Rock Ethos:** Pavement’s blend of irony, detachment, and melodic sensibility became a template for indie rock throughout the ’90s and beyond. Bands such as Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, and even later acts like Car Seat Headrest owe a debt to Pavement’s approach. - **Cultural Touchstone:** While never achieving massive commercial success, the album is a rite of passage for underground music fans and is frequently cited in “best of the ’90s” lists[2]. - **Pop and Noise Fusion:** The way Pavement melded pop hooks with noise and dissonance paved the way for a generation of bands that sought to balance accessibility with experimentation[5]. --- ## **Pros and Cons Table** | Pros | Cons | |---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | Inventive, memorable, and enigmatic lyrics | Lyrics can be obscure or alienating | | Infectious melodies within noisy, eclectic arrangements | Lo-fi, “sloppy” sound may be off-putting to some | | Authentic, DIY production enhances intimacy and credibility | Production sometimes buries vocals and musical details | | Eclectic mix of punk, pop, and noise keeps album unpredictable | Some tracks can blend together due to similar production | | Irony and vulnerability coexist, rewarding repeated listening | Accusations of derivativeness (e.g., similarities to other bands) | | Major influence on indie/lo-fi movements and subsequent generations | Not a commercial or mainstream album; appeals to a niche audience | --- ## **Conclusion** *Slanted and Enchanted* is a paradox: an album that sounds tossed-off but is meticulously crafted, that mocks rock conventions while delivering some of the era’s most indelible songs, and that buries emotion under layers of irony and distortion yet remains deeply affecting. Its lo-fi production, surreal lyrics, and slacker attitude defined a generation of indie rock, making it a touchstone for musicians and fans alike. The album’s strengths—its inventive songwriting, infectious melodies, and authentic production—are also its weaknesses for some listeners, who may find the sound too rough or the lyrics too opaque. Yet, it is precisely these qualities that have ensured *Slanted and Enchanted*’s enduring legacy. The album remains a testament to the power of doing more with less, of finding beauty in imperfection, and of forging a unique voice in a crowded musical landscape. For those willing to embrace its idiosyncrasies, *Slanted and Enchanted* is not just a classic of indie rock but a vital, living document of a moment when music’s possibilities seemed as wide open and unpredictable as Pavement’s own songs.
It took me awhile to realize this is the best Pavement album and therefore by far the greatest ever indie rock record. Just pure, detached, hyper-intellectual sarcastic serenity.
Holy shit just the best. My sister Liz got be this for my bday when she got back from MICA and it fully blew my mind. definitely one of the greatest albums of all time
There’s a charmingly homemade quality to this album which, despite the punk feel of much of the material ends up feeling more homely than angry. The lyrics, which are often thoughtful and vulnerable, create the same atmosphere. There’s a relaxed approach to harmony and production which gives the whole a chilled feel, but they can also be genuinely inventive. It’s heavily influenced by punk and the contemporary obsession, grunge, but it’s altogether less self-obsessed and intense than most of what bore those labels in the reality 90s. The lack of pretension in the way it’s presented means the skill of the songwriting kind of creeps up on you.
Zürich is Stained
Some losers love Pavement, other losers can't stand them. Are you the right kind of loser. Rips off The Fall, the Verlaines etc wholesale at times but still manages to rule. Always a toss-up whether this or Wowee Zowee is my favourite.
Quintessential 90s indie rock. Noisy, chaotic, tough and weak, intelligent and referential.
One of the best debuts of the 90s perfectly encapsulates what "moving forward" looks like. Even today, bands like Pavement do not come around very often, and very few are able to effortlessly rewrite the playbook for what constitutes rock music.
The best band of the 90s' debut is not just Slanted And Enchanted, it's also unmatched and detached, inspired and rewired, deconstructed and combusted; effortlessly unbound and deservingly renowned.
Indie classic
Fuck yea, Pavement rules. Great record as is everything they've done.
um puta álbum de estréia, muito bom mesmo (talvez eu esteja vestindo minha camisa do pavement nesse momento)
AEEEEEEEE PORRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 5 estrelas mais fácil da vida. in the mouth a desert, summer babe e zürich is stained levam 15 estrelas, o resto é brinde de altíssima qualidade. no mais, é uma banda bem importante pra mim e pro indie rock como um todo. um clássico!!
This is brilliant. After struggling with 'Crooked Rain', I questioned my previous enjoyment, but this bought me right back. Great song writing and delivery. I'll keep coming back to this one...
I love Pavement.
1992 called and it misses you very much. It wants to get high on the thrift store couch and watch Bob Ross at lunchtime on a Tuesday.
A landmark album for indie rock and just banger after banger.
I wasn't sure how well this one would age as it's been a few decades since I listened to it. But man, it was like catching up with an old friend and picking up the conversation right where we left off. This is one of those bands where they just see things differently. Like, I thought I knew how music worked, but then I hear a song like Fame Throwa and I realize I know nothing. Pavement songs just operate by their own rules. Same with their lyrics. Even when I can understand what he's saying, I'm still not sure what he's saying. And yet I remembered every damn line of this thing. Some guys just have that knack. I know their slacker attitude might be off-putting for many, but there's something about it that works for me. This was highly influential for me, so I can't give it anything less than a 5. But I'm glad it still slaps, so that 5 isn't just nostalgia speaking. (Marianne, this is about as "Scott" an album as there is.)
Great debut for this band that defined the 90's for me. Just a little bit sloppy but still hard-hitting. These guys tried to make us believe that they didn't care, but nobody this disinterested would be able to write such awesome songs.
Pavement are the coolest
I knew of Pavement, but I'd never listened to them. Love the sort of ramshackle sound, which does remind me of early The Fall music (though I don't concur with Mark E. Smith's claim they are a rip-off). This is great stuff and I think I'll add it to my library.
4.5
fuck yeah pavement
During the early 90's, Green Day and Nirvana were the bands that broke through to the mainstream from alternative, punk or whatever genre they'd be categorized in to produce quite the phenomenon, huge media exposure and lasting legacies, but to me one of the most important bands to come out of the 90's was Pavement. They stayed on the edge of alternative (or indie or college-rock), but stayed true to not fully "selling out" with some rather odd, but unique albums during their first run career (10 years) and have reformed to play to larger audiences and a renewed interest in their music. Clearly, front-man-singer-songwriter, Stephen Malkmus is the creative genius behind the band and his solo albums after Pavement attest to his talent. The debut, Slanted And Enchanted is their best album, it has it's flaws and it's uneven, but it gets more interesting and fascinating with every listen. It's not the greatest album of the 90's, but it sure beats anything Green Day released after Dookie.
"Slanted and Enchanted" is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Pavement. The Wiki-listed genres are Indie rock, lo-fi and noise pop. Boy, that sounds familiar but rightfully fits. The album was self-produced under the Metador Rrcords label. It was also the last album with drummer Gary Young who was fired for various antics. Other members included Stephen Malkmus (lead vocals, lead & rhythm guitar) and Scott Kannberg (bass, lead & rhythm guitar, backing and lead vocals). The album is critically highly regarded. Commercially, it hit #72 in the UK and did not chart in the US. An edgy guitar, plodding bass and tinny drums open "Summer Babe (Winter Version)." This is very lo-fi but melodic with the underlying guitar. Marlkmus' vocals are all over the place as he spends all summer trying to get the girl. Definitely, a slacker anthem. The album takes a darker turn with "Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite at :17." Faster pace, darker guitar. Malkmus almost has an emotionless voice as he deals with depression and how to get out of it. "In the Mouth a Desert" starts with soft guitar strings and chimes. It builds with drums, bass and a grungy guitar. An absolute killer melodic guitar bridge. Most bands will never come near creating something as good as that. He wants to escape empty pleasures. One of my favorite songs of the 90's. Malkmus struggles with appearance versus substance in "Here." Highly guitar keys. Subdued vocals. Softer. Slower. The album ends with "Our Singer." Guitar slashes and chords. He's dreaming of a girl but can't make the first move. The randomizer didn't hesitate giving me two lo-fi classics back to back. The underlying melodies and hooks are the things that separates this album. Malkmus' lyrics are very Gen X and slacker at the surface. Once you dig a little deeper he gets pretty deep, sometimes historical or tongue-in-cheek. No definitive answers. I don't know if I was onboard with this album on first listen but have grown to realize its brilliance. A 90's classic.
Pavement satte virkelig en urimeligt høj standard for kaotisk scatterbrained 90er-rock her, der er så mange bands der har prøvet og katastrofisk fejlet i at lave ca den her plade. Men den her plade er perfekt, wouldn't change a thing, faktisk bedre end jeg huskede den. De fleste af de her tekster lyder som stoned shower thoughts. Two states! We waaant two states! North & south! Twoooo-- two states
1992 - what a year, so much top music, and happy memories from my youth. Pavement are a great band with their unique lo-fi, laidback style. Later albums would refine their sound, but this album showcases their raw energy. Top tracks are Summer Babe, Trigger Cut, Here, and Perfume V, but some other great tunes throughout. All hail the 90s!
Debut Pavement contains many of their best songs including Here which has a great Tindersticks cover.
pavement were my favourite band in jr high so this was fun
I fudge with it. I remember thinking Crooked Rain I would probably enjoy if I listened again, so instead got a different album from them and can confirm I like it. Will I listen to again: 100%
Terrific all around
Awesome Slacker Rock classic. 5 stars.
Listening to Pavement is something I feel like I should have done long ago, but never did, so I welcomed this. Did they just become my new favourite band? Nah, but I'm really digging this and will put it on again. Scrolling through my history and rating policy, this has to be at least scratching the 5 and seeing how it triggered Markuhh E. Smithuuuh to clumsily claim a trademark on talk-singing makes it all the better.
Yes. More.
The best album by the best band in the 90’s alt rock movement
I'm confused how I missed this album back in '92. I was into a lot of indie and alternative stuff so this would've been right in my wheelhouse. I'm on my 3rd listen and it just gets better. Raw, unpolished and thoroughly enjoyable. Not a single bite has been taken of the commercial apple.
Steven Malkmus and Pavement are among the first times I can recall doing a complete 180° from "how could anyone enjoy this?" to "this is so brilliant and catchy."
This album is a great blend of punk (lack of) structure and raw indie rock. Really a great one to have in the listening rotation.
Slanted and Enchanted is the fabulous debut album of Pavement. This strong collection of songs in an indie rock and lo-fi format are full of melody, noise, distortion and subtlety.
This is one of my top five albums of all time and another listen didn’t change that.
This album is so good. Its either a strong 4 or weak 5. It's just missing a small something to make it unforgettable. But it hits so many of the right notes, tones, lyrics, discordances, and so much more. I feel like it is deserving of a 5 and would feel wrong to give it a 4. And yet there is room for improvement. Very solid album. I wouldn't hesitate to throw it on.
I really really like Pavement. 4.5+ from me. I still think Crooked Rain is more my favorite, but this is still right in my top albums.
Perfect album. The tone goes from raw to polished. The lyrics and vocals go from dramatic to whimsical. There's noise and dissonance but it doesn't overwhelm. Everything feels effortless while also feeling meticulously constructed. It's all about contradictions. This is definitely one of the albums on the Mt Rushmore of modern indie music. It influenced everyone, but somehow I can't think of another band that sounds anything like Pavement.
I’ve listened to enough Time Crisis to be receptive to Pavement, but this is the album that finally clicked for me. There’s a dry emotion that meshes with the guitar tone and really lets you swim in the banal. I love it.
Yaaaay Scottish blogger who won‘t be named
My introduction to Pavement in the early 90s and one that I regularly go back to still.
Remek djelo. Jebeno obožavam ovaj album
Really good. I don't know how or why I haven't listened to this band before. Reminds me of early days Modest Mouse. I know they site Placement as an influence and yeah you can really hear it. I will try to make up for lost time and catch up.
We've had a few great albums in a row, I can't wait to see what's next. Hopefully no more Massive Attack or Everything but the Girl.
Really good, especially in songs like ‘Summer Babe’ and ‘Here’. I like this type of indie a lot, and it’s done well here, even if some songs aren’t as good.
A cool record that I found way too late. I’m happy that someone showed it to me.
I liked this a lot!!! First album in this process that I didn't know but still saved because I want to listen to again!!
a perfect representation of its time and generation. Great listen!
"Summer Babe," "Trigger Cut," "Two States," some of the greatest and most moving music of the decade
holy shit what a great name for a band, the fuckin Pavement. i like this type of catchy melodie noise rock, its even funny, like the breaking of a vase or something in a museum. conduit for sale and zurich is stained are almost velvet underground songs. the first one is like those talked songs by VU and the second one sounds exactly like Lou Reed.
Those “etch or sketch” guys made a damn good Lou reed cover album
The best Pavement album. They were never the same without Gary Young. Very warm sound and reminiscent of The Fall. Indie rock classic.
A unique 90s indie rock band like no other, following up on the success of noise rock bands like Dinosaur Jr, cranking up the distortion and lazy vibes yet still being insanely catchy and groovy. Malkmus has one of the most distinct and versatile vocals and isn't afraid to show his talents in this record, from loud screaming to the softest most sincere speech. It's a hugely experimental album. You have your pop hits dispersed throughout, like "Summer Babe", "Zurich is Stained", and "Here", but most of the tracks are just wild ideas of what you could do with the noise pop genre, and yet it all works. I admit it may take some time to get used to it due to how abrasive it is. I've listened to this album countless times over the past two years. It's wild and fun and at no point did I feel bored. It has an entrancing, fitting intro and outro to pull in audiences and leave them satisfied. The songs are coherent, with reoccurring motifs such as the variation on the formula between "Fame Throwa" and "Jackals." This album is clearly not for everyone. It's a hard sound to get used to, but I'm glad I acquired it. I remember playing this album on a 4-hour ride back home, and the driver had to wake me up to change it cause it was too atonal and distracting him. If you like this, check out the rest of their discography. Often I listen to an album and think of it as the best of what the artist has to offer. But in this case, it's a sign of things to come.
I was dimly aware of Pavement, somewhere between an American version of The Fall and The Velvet Underground. Some of the songs here could have been on a Fall album without seeming out of place at all, which is a good thing in my personal opinion. As the album progressed I heard echoes of The Pixies, even a little shoegaze here and there. Really enjoyed this.
Compared to the other Pavement album in the list, I enjoyed this immensely. Great stuff.
Älskar denna skiva... jag älskar låtarna, stämningen, hur de spelar, hur härligt slarvigt allt är, alla lyrics som fastnar i huvudet som maskar...
PREFS : Summer Babe (Winter Version), Trigger Cut/Wounded Kite at :17, No Life Singed Her, In the Mouth a Desert, Conduit For Sale!, Zurich is Stained, Loretta's Scars, Here, Two States, Perfume-V, Fame Throwa, Jackals, False Grails: The Lonesome Era MOINS PREF : Chesley's Little Wrists
Cracking album, really nice raw 90s indie sound to it
Great album that still sounds fresh today.
Such a great album. This is one that I revist often and will continue to do so. Noisy, lo-fi, punk-ish, and great.
I wasn't familiar with Pavement until long after their time had passed, but in retrospect they were probably one of my favorite bands' favorite bands. This album is insanely good, and has held up really well over time.
amazing album
Superb. L
J'adore le côté grunge et bordélique de Pavement ! C'est pas mon album préfèré d'eux mais il reste très bien. 4,5/5
On another list. Awesome record.
Great band great album
Great songs, good flow. Pavement at its best.
really enjoyed the album and the spotify radio that came out of it
Best tracks: Trigger Cut, Conduit For Sale!
Raw young contemporaries to Nirvana, and it shows on this record. I love it.
to pimp a butterfly
love this
75/100 Sometimes debut albums will just be like this man it’ll just be an album that really doesn’t do anything for you like none of this appeals much to me at all or sounds all that cool (although I did dig Zürich & Here a lot). It’s rock with detuned and distorted guitars that try to fill in for the band not having a bassist for a while and I don’t really know what else to say. It’s got cool song titles like they look like they belong to a much greater set of tunes but instead they’re on this pavement album right here. I tried putting this on in many different situations at work, like I tried reading with it, working outside with it, probably even fell asleep with it on at one point because it was a bit boring at parts and I just wasn’t crazy about it. But hey guys don’t worry, it’s an “influential” album which doesn’t mean that it has to be really likable or anything. It just lends a helping hand to the bands that would come up and make better albums inspired by it. I’m glad for these guys though they sound like they had a blast making it and that’s all that matters right?
8.5 / 10
This one is kind of like Black Sabbath's S/T in that I appreciate it more than I actually enjoy listening to it it, and also that it is like ground zero for a lot of other music that I really like. I like the stuff that it inspired more than most of these actual songs. I dig this album a lot, but I always wish it was just a -bit- less rough around the edges in terms of the songwriting.
Yes please - pretty awesome stuff
Like a well crafted homebrew or a fresh picked garden tomato, Slanted And Enchanted is a DIY indie rock project that actually works. And it works well. Had to listen to it twice; first listen I thought this is good but a bit scratchy and home made. Then I read the backstory and found out that Pavement didn’t have a base guitar so they just loosely restrung one of the existing lead guitars and continued on playing and recording. Second listen I appreciated their homemade approach. You can hear it and it comes across as genuine. (4.2*s) I might actually listen to it again.
4.4
I used to write surrealist, stream of conscious poetry and a lot of it sounded like the lyrics on this album. Which is to say: I dig it. Add the slacker vibe and guitar attack, the Velvet Underground/Lou Reed fixation and it adds up to a great, trailblazing indie album. The sound would be better refined on "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain," but this is a excellent debut.
I feel like this being included on the list in part makes up for the obscene omission of 90s/00s Modest Mouse. Like MM, Pavement perfectly blended abrasion with melody, also in the vein of Sonic Youth or Dino Jr. This is a lot more experimental than Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, but just as good in my opinion, and you can hear the influence it had on a lot of indie music being made today.
Summer Babe - Winter Version No Life Singed Her Loretta’s Scars Two States
Loretta’s Scars Here Two States Jackals, False Grails: The Lonesome Era
Punk for nerds, with some excellent songwriting lurking under the feedback
Huge Pavement fan. Stockton, CA! This album started it for me when It was released. Malkmus is a genius in my book. Love the raw energy.
This is a weird collection of songs – if that is a appropriate description. Every cut is equally stupid and gorgeously fantastic from the "ultimate" "postmodern" "rock" "band". I feel like a lot of american alternative guitarband hits from the mid 90s onwards were a carbon copy of some song or other from this album with the edges filed down and made palatable for generic audience. The wild drumming! The talk-singing! The nonsense lyrics that sorta make sense! The cord progressions, droning guitars and the melodies! Summer babe! No life singed her! Conduit for Sale! Two States! Every song is a hit with no chance of ever being a mainstream hit (that's for later records). There's nothing here that I do not love.
my brother came to my room when I was listening to this and asked what type of music it is because he likes it, so I will have a sentiment for the rest of myy days
I really enjoyed this. Some great bass and guitar noodling. I like the tempo and Lou Reed esq delivery. Opening track was strongest and it slightly looses its mojo towards the end.
Sounded dull until I got into it. Nice ebb and flow. Really enjoyed the back half of this.
Almost want to give this a 5. I guess that says a lot about me. I find Stephen Malkmus’ deadpan … trance inducing? This album a journey that his delivery takes me on. My brother had this album when it came out. He obsessed over it. I couldn’t see much there at the time. But as the years pile up… well, like I said I almost want to give it a 5. Conduit for Sale, which reminds me a great deal of Slint’s Spiderland from this same time, an album I absolutely will be giving a 5 btw, is such a high point for me, made more so by its context in the album as a whole. My issue is that I just don’t have the same feeling about the end of the album. 4 really 4.5 Boolean True, definitely wanted to hear again before I die
Noisy and dissonant. I like it. I remember listening like a decade ago and it not thinking it remarkable. I think the contrast between this and Nick Cave makes me appreciate it more. Same year and yet Nick Cave very rooted in an 80s sound where Pavement felt more experimental for the time. Idk i probably just dislike 80s sound
Hey this was good! Haven’t heard of these guys before but there were some really great tracks here. One of the stronger B-sides I’ve heard but it did have some low points I’d avoid listening to again. Not the most consistent album but I really liked Here and Summer Babe, amongst others.
Really enjoyed! Will be listening again
I prefer Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, but this is still great
not my favorite pavement album but man i love pavement, appreciate how much more loud this one is with some softer melodic high notes
US Fall tribute band. Top low fi slacker music. 4 for effort. Like Here, Two States (40 million daggers!) and Mouth of a Desert. Unfortunately no Range Life on this album.
Not actively listened to Pavement before and was quite surprised at how much I liked them. Some good old indie, restrains itself from going to the all out guitar thrashing that seemed to dominate American rock of tbis era. A generous 4.
A lot like the previous album on this list. Really good but sometimes it didn't flow. Was less then the sum it's parts somehow? These guys are stuck between grunge of the time and some other sound. Still decent. 7/10
Great
I'm tryin, I'm tryin, I'm tryin' I'm tryin' to find fault but, nope. I still love this, rickety songs and crap recording and all.
Came into my life at the perfect time, not sure how it would land for a new listener.
I put this off because of the first track name which was at one point the tumblr bio of a friend of ours who died - as expected I did have a little cry, but that’s okay. Anyway, triggering aside! I’ve never really listened to Pavement (although my brother had got me a pavement vinyl but for some reason I need to wait 3-5 years before I can use a nice gift, can someone diagnose what childhood trauma has led to that please? Answers on a postcard!) and I truly have no idea why because they’re so clearly my vibe. I added literally half of the record to my liked songs and already can’t wait to listen to more. I just hope one day I can see/hear/say ‘Summer babe - Winter Version’ without small sobs. Maybe I’m due my period…. Do I use these as diary entries? BASICALLY!! get off my dick.
I didn't really get into Pavement until Terror Twilight just before they broke up, which I know isn't generally a well-liked record by the fandom but retains a special place in my heart. My favourite track was Jackals, False Grails: The Lonesome Era, not a clue what it's about though
A real grower over the years. First listen I didn’t get it, now I really enjoy how unpolished and spontaneous this feel. Also, Mark E. Smith was right: this definitely cribs from the Fall several times.
Had een beetje boze dag en dit liet me weer 17 jaar en boos voelen. Ja i love pavement!!!
genieten !! ik ben meer van hun eps voor dit album maar dit is een topplaat
The hate: The Conduit and Chelseys are annoying as alt rock can be 😂 The love: Zurich Is Stained, Summer Babe, Here are awesome tracks and for 92’ they sound about 4 years ahead of the curve Somewhere around 3.5 stars
Musically, this is really good and the vibe is so 90s (in a good way), but the vocals let it down at times. Some of it is a total copy of Lou Reed. Not that I’m complaining about it. I compare this album to “Doolittle” by The Pixies. Decent music, a few really annoying duds in the middle and the occasional head nodder. Overall, not bad. Far better than “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain”. Torn between 3 stars and 4 stars…I don’t know…let’s go for 4 stars!!
Another pleasant surprise from this list. Really fun, weird fuzzy alt-rock. Definitely want to explore this album more.
Decently good ancestor to modern grungey
Great
this is like if nirvana and soad were slightly less fun to listen to but i dont hate it ? conduit for sale kind of goes hard actually
This review is for Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain because when that album came up, I accidentally listened to Slanted and Enchanted: I love this album and it’s my fave Pavement.
On a near par with Sonic Youth and Mudhoney if you are in the mood for early 90s noise rock/prototype grunge. Which I sort of was today.
I'm having a hard time reviewing this. It's just a really solid example of a time and place. It doesn't necessarily wow you on first listen, but it grows on you slowly a little more every listen. I listened to a lot of music like this, but this is my first time with this one.
This is very much the Velvet Underground as seen through the lens of early 90s lo-fi shoegaze/proto-grunge. The album was recorded for $800 in a garage but still sounds pretty good to my aged ears, with droning guitars and solid drums supporting lead singer Stephen Malmus’ Lou Reed style vocals. If I have any quibbles with this, it’s that some of the tracks feel a little short - there are 14 in 39 minutes with lots of variation and interesting ideas but too many of them fade out too quickly when they could have easily been expanded into longer freakouts.
I really enjoyed this. Some great bass and guitar noodling. I like the tempo and Lou Reed esq delivery. Opening track was strongest and it slightly looses its mojo towards the end.
Slanted and Enchanted I’ve never got into Pavement, not because I don’t think I’d like them, but because I’ve never really tried. I used to like Shady Lane, I remember that being played a fair bit on Radio 1 around A-Levels. I liked this, although it took a few listens to get into the swing of it, and there were bits I liked more than others. But the lo-fi-ness, their calling card, is definitely charming in a ramshackle way, and underneath the sense of laissez faire intelligence is a slightly caustic undercurrent and of course a skill at off kilter melody and catchiness I get quite a bit of Jonathan Richman, as well as Sonic Youth and MBV and a little bit of glam in the tone of the lead guitar, particularly on the very good Summer Babe, Trigger Cut and No Life Singed Her. There’s a bit of Pixies/surf to the sound of In The Mouth of the Desert and the excellent Conduit for Sale, with its catchy backing vocals. Zurich is Stained is great too, a great lo-fi melancholic track. It continues much in that vein, some noisier and bouncier like Two States, some more low key, like the lovely Here, some more sludgy like Fame Throwa, and some somewhere in the middle like the hypnotic Jackals. Although it’s not totally my sort of thing, it grew on me with repeat listens, its slightly skewed lo fi alt rock is much more playful and interesting than many of the other bands in this period, and I’m keen to listen to more of their albums, and I think it just tips into a 4. 🧱🧱🧱🧱 Playlist submission: Conduit for Sale!
It's Pavement, of course it's fantastic
I never knew they sounded like Weezer meets Dinosaur Jr.
Somehow have never heard these guys. Love it! Slacker rock rules.
Well shit. That was a listen. There were many styles of music here and it think it all worked well. It could get monotonous in spots but at least the music was interesting. Now the lyrics are wild but I will say that at the core of this album was a pop heart. Sweet songs were sweet. You can add all the fuzz and whatnot to the album. You hadsome pretty good songs. I read a review from pitchfork about the album but it really didn’t talk about the album. It talked about the fourth album a couple of eps and like the first song. They gave the album a 10 in retrospect. I mention this because I think this is 4.5/5 or maybe 4. Not sure which way I would lean. I would have to spend more the 24 hours with the album.
Pavement album #2 on the list. Their first album is a bit more ramshackle than the later ones but still has the Malkmus style nailed.
How have I not come across this band? Based on album release dates it sounds like Weezer copied their sound. I like it. 3.5/5. Raising to 4.
Feels like an album I should already know well Faves: Trigger Cut
Больше склоняюсь к 4, поскольку мне очень нравится инструментал некоторых песен. Также хочу похвалить обложку-она чарует, не знаю почему. В общем один из тех альбомов, который я с радостью буду иногда включать фоном
Pavement is a band I don’t want to like - based solely on a college acquaintance who was obsessed with them and let you know how much cooler they were for it. The only problem is that I like them more and more every listen.
Grace Jeff Buckley Signing Off UB40 LP1 FKA twigs
Oh, how I would have ate this up if I were a college student in the 90’s.
This was more a 3 1/2 star for me but I’ll give them that extra //2 star for being from Stockton!
Music is pretty good. Vocals are horrendous.
Great album. Not as good as CR,CR
Very good album. Great guitar and drumming sound. After a few listens, this is at least 4 stars (may even reach 5 if I keep listening). Some favourites: "Here", "Summer Babe", "Trigger Cut", "In the mouth of a desert", "Zurich is stained", "Loretta's scars", "Jackals...", or "Singers". Plenty of good stuff.
120226 0:44 4.5 / highlights: in the mouth a desert, summer babe (winter version)
This was pretty good, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, perhaps something to check out more in the future. That being said it didn't feel like a five. Not in the mood to give a long review. 78/100
Pretty good. Felt like an adjacent genre to some of the stuff I already listen to.
Noisy and fuzzy but in a poppy and melodic way.
I could definitely hear the Fall influence in a few tracks. I liked this a lot; there are some five-star tracks here ("Jackals, ..." for example). Perhaps I liked Crooked Rain a little more; in retrospect maybe this is a four and that should have been a five.
I enjoyed this, I liked the quirky, off kilter punky indie rock. Would revisit.
Really fun. I love Pavement’s slackery ironic sound.
It’s an acquired taste. I will listen again
Great shoegazing early 90s vibe still sounds pretty cool, very enjoyable
Late comer to Pavement. Good album , great band
It's been good hearing where a lot of my favourite bands got their influences from. A bit too raw for my normal tastes, but still really good.
Solid album. Definitely from a bygone era of indie music
great album!! all of the singles were amazing, and i could def see myself listening to this again.
7/10
Great indie rock album
Pavement's debut album Slanted and Enchanted is kind of a sleeper agent in the first-wave Indie Rock scene. On the surface the album is a mess; incredibly lo-fi, unorganized, and amateurish. Compared to the slightly more refined sound on their later records, many would be quick to write this off as a starting point that needed some fixing up. Once you peel back some of the layers though, it's evident just how well-thought-out Slanted and Enchanted is in almost every aspect of its production. Each track offers a perspective on an apathetic slacker lifestyle, it's sonically eclectic but thematically focused. I'd call Slanted and Enchanted the soundtrack for indifference. It expands upon the ideas pioneered by Dinosaur Jr. and is a prime early example of a project leaning into the slacker rock aesthetic with no restriction. All this, and the record still manages to have consistently beautiful and catchy tracks. I could talk endlessly about how important Here was to my appreciation for this style, but nearly every track that focuses itself is masterful. Summer Babe, In the Mouth a Desert, Zurich is Stained, Loretta's Scars, the list goes on. Hidden behind this noisy, slacker aesthetic are some absolutely entrancing pop tunes, in a lot of ways reminding me of Loveless. I could go on about how this album's influence on one of my favorite bands Modest Mouse, or the landscape of mid-90s indie rock as a whole, but I think the album doesn't need to rely on its impact. Slanted and Enchanted on its own captures a perfectly flawed sound and harnesses it to great success thanks to some brilliant songwriting. I won't expect everyone to see this album in such a positive light as it is inherently rough around the edges, but for those with a palate for apathy this record is a gem.
I didn't dislike it, but a little too messy/noisy for my tastes. Sounds ahead of its time for something from 1992, so we'll give it a little extra credit. 3.5
Always up for a bit of pavement
I've always liked their second and third albums but couldn't be bothered with the rest. I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Mark E Smith claimed them as Fall plagiarists but I hear melodic Thurston Moore led Sonic Youth a whole lot more.
Nice indie rock album. First time listening to a full Pavement record and it was on par with others of its genre/era
It's hard not to be charmed by Pavement. They didn't achieve the same level of fame as bands like Nirvana and Sonic Youth, but man fit right into that scene. Maybe they didn;t care quite as much about achieving any fame. They just sound like the kind of band who didn't know what else to do with themselves except to form a grunge band. The music is great, if less memorable than a band like Sonic Youth. This album is proof that you don't need a lot of money or a record deal to make a great album.
i love pavement
Totally understand all those who hate this, but I dig the raw, rough sound. I could feel the apathy, angst, and slacker ethos as if I was back in high school in the early nineties.
It feels like Nirvana gone a bit Weezer, with that laid-back slacker vibe but also a subtle, metal-tinged emotional “cry” in the melodies. Its nostalgic yet unsettling mix really stuck with me. “In the Mouth a Desert” is the standout track for me.
Their second album on this list, and while not quite hitting the heights of Crooked Rain - one of only three CDs I have bought after discovering them on this list - it's a very strong four. Those Fall comparisons are really lazy, really they're nothing like MES despite what MES himself might have said.
Wow, where has this group been in my life? Really liked the grungy, punkish rock here. Great length, mistuning fit the style but was a bit distracting. Although I’m unfamiliar, it’s understanding how Pavement’s style here would go on to inspire not only other groups but genres as well. 4/5
I knew Pavement as a band but i haven't heard anything from them 'till now.This album may sounds like it was recorded in the basement but still, i like what i'm hearing.The vocals at times are silly and maybe unsufficcient but sometimes they are good(in Here) or have an intimate storytelling character,an almost punkish attitude and i so tune in.Great drumming here as well. Favourites: Summer Babe (Winter Version),creative drums. In The Mouth A Desert. Zurich Is Stained. Loretta's Scars.Stucked in my brain. Here.Great song.lyrics and vocals. Perfume-V. Fame Throwa. Jackals, False Grails: The Lonesome Era. Overall it was a good album,i mean i liked more than half of the songs. 4/5
I’m pretty sure I’ll like this. I was a little too young to appreciate Pavement when Slanted and Enchanted came out, but I remember liking later singles. First time giving it a full listen. Thoroughly enjoyable pre-grunge fuzz rock. 4/5. Would listen again.
probably my favorite from these weirdos, every track is so compelling
Can't imagine there will be much love for this within the group given previous reviews of Pavement and other similar acts (Slint, Sonic Youth), but we shall see... While I don't count myself among Pavement's biggest fans, I do enjoy this album as something greater than the sum of its parts. On a very basic level, this album *feels* good to listen to. There is a certain sincerity to the unrefined production that plays well to the band's overall aesthetic. Songs are mostly crafted around dissonant/minor melodies laden with crusty distortion, thrumming bass, visceral drums, and a singer who seems capable of melancholic indifference and screaming with very little range in between. Summer Babe is a languid opener that plays to a pretty standard indie-rock template. I actually love the chaos of No Life Singed Her. I mean the shouting is a little much, but the groove is great. In the Mouth A Desert is also great with the super deep bass providing the foundation for distortion laden guitar to scratch about and periodically break through with winding clarity -- the drums feel so good to me on this one. Here is the closest thing to single-territory on this album, finding lead singer Malkmus mustering the energy to break free from his deadpan and hit some notes. Two States is a bit of a low point for me -- kind of a goofy punk track. Fame Throwa is a bit goofy as well but its among my favorites on here. Jackals, False Grails cops the same drum cadence from Fame Throwa to launch things into what is effectively a noisy jam session. And closer Our Singer is easily the most memorable on here for me -- spiritually it sounds like a Minutemen song and I absolutely love it. For me this album has never quite pushed into 5 territory, but is always a joy to listen to. Solid 4 for me.
Idk if they actually did, but I can hear a major influence on Weezer's first couple albums from this. I just went back and read my review of the last Pavement album and I said the same thing. Started off a little noisy but really enjoyed it as it went on. Really got into some songs I can't remember as I was blasting through work, but I think I'm a Pavement fan.
Light 4,5
Despite being from the '90s, I never really got into Pavement. I am pleased to have had a reminder of this album. Probably won't land in my regular rotation, but enjoyed it none the less. This is my first of the 1001 albums!
Longtime favorite. Some really great songs on here. A touch emo, a touch punk, a touch garage band.
I loved this one! Had never heard of these guys before but enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to.
Have always preferred Crooked Rain, but there is no doubt that Slanted and Enchanted sets the tone for what Pavement and their indelible style. 4.5/5
Muy buenas canciones: Drive-In Saturday, Cracked Actor, The Prettiest Star, Let's Spend the Night Together, The Jean Genie y Lady Grinnin Soul
Love it
I usually just listen to “two states” and “trigger cut,” so it was nice to listen to the whole thing. Can’t be a 5 because there’s too many things that aren’t even really songs and are annoying to boot, but the songs that fit traditional notions of songwriting are great.
Enjoyable indie rock.
I’m familiar with some Pavement. This is great lo-fi, independent garage band music. Lots of Weezer vibes or maybe it’s the other way around. Great bass chug chugging in most of the tracks. I dig this.
I loved it but my cats did NOT
This is #day414 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… we're saying bye-bye to yet another artist as this is my second and last Pavement record. What can I say? Wonderful, good old early '90s indie rock. "In the Mouth of a Desert," though. Almost on par with the sophomore, which I rated a 5. Let it be a 4 this time. Looking forward to #day415.
Really liked this album.
Mis expectativas con este disco eran demasiado altas para lo que me ofreció en su momento. Esperaba que fueran los sucesores de los gloriosos Pixies, pero ofrecían otra cosa, más Lo-fi y menos inmediata. Con el tiempo, y sobre todo con Crooked rain mi opinión cambió. Para Lo-fi estaban Guided by Voices, para guitarras (ya no) estaban las de los Pixies, y para alterntivos mainstrean ya estaban Sonic Youth (o Niervana y todo el pelotón grunge). Sin embargo Pavement tenían un punto ingenuo y amateur que en su día no me gustaba y ahora ha ganado muchos enteros. Algo similar me pasó los Replacements. Este disco, ya desde el principio deja las cartas boca arriba, o te gusta o no. A mí cada vez me gusta más. Summer Babe (Winter Version) abre y no engaña. No Life Singed Her sí que presenta credenciales made in Black Francis y In the Mouth a Desert es sin duda uno de sus mejores temas. Chesley's Little Wrists es un desvarío que no desentona del resto. Loretta's Scars vuelve a poner las cosas en su sitio mientras Here resuena con ecos de la Velvet o Galaxie 500 (mejor dicho, Luna). La trotona Two States no termina de convencerme, aunque en directo sirviera para dar buenos saltos. Perfume-V, es otro de sus mejores temas, esta vez con sonido más cercano a los Sonic Youth. No eran de Boston pero tampoco les hacía falta. Aquí en España dejaron huella y una riada de grupo imitando sus formas.
I enjoyed it for the most part! Give's shades of Velvet Underground or something like that, which can never be a bad thing. 7/10
I had never listened to Pavement before today, but I really enjoyed Slanted and Enchanted. It’s full of fun yet meaningful lyrics, paired with a scrappy blend of punk and early indie that makes the whole record feel fresh and exciting. The lo-fi energy adds to its charm, and it’s easy to hear why this album became so influential. Favourite track: Hard to choose, but In the Mouth a Desert, Trigger Cut, and Here all stood out as brilliant tracks. Least favourite track: Honestly, every song was enjoyable and added to the experience. Album artwork: A very cool cover that suits the music’s raw edge.
Slacker rock muy guay. Que sea lo-fi a la larga les salió bien porque no suena viejo/desfasado/como un producto de su época. Sin embargo, la primera mitad es mucho más fuerte que la segunda (donde hay canciones que al final suenan medio samey). A la playlist: Summer Babe, Trigger Cut, In the Mouth a Desert, Zürich is Stained, Here Qué cojones estoy escuchando: Chesley's Little Wrists
Slanted and Enchanted greets you as perhaps a 1990s American college extrovert would - willing to make friends but with somewhat of a hidden, crazed personality that you can’t help but think is a sort of ulterior motive. Nevertheless curious, you humour them and dive in. It’s precisely how you’d expect it to sound from the cover, the era, and what you’ve heard about the band already, the indie rock darlings that they are. Liberal with the noisy guitar, intonated vocals and odd song titles, this set the formula and you can hear its influence in all sorts of ‘indie’ stuff made since. If anything at all, you’d be an idiot not to appreciate the mish-mash of mainly fun, but sometimes surprisingly and genuinely emotional lyrics, wacky guitar, and that it doesn’t always take itself completely serious. It’s a fantastic start for Pavement, sounding positively contemporary even more than thirty years removed.
Great
I love pavement.
Vocal skill 0 Guitar skill 0 Vibes 10000000000
I've always been somewhat interested in Pavement from afar. The stuff I've heard was always quirky and interesting (especially the iconic "Cut Your Hair" from their follow-up album), seemingly deviating from the norm in alternative/indie rock. This particular album of theirs was a tad noisier than I was expecting at first. Things aren't too disorganized despite that however, as there's still enough structure for some catchy hooks and choruses here and there. Plus some catchy and wry songwriting from Stephen Malkmus. Some might dismiss this as "just another slacker rock record", but I think the highs overshadow any parts I may have initially found lacking here. A bit of a hidden gem in all honesty, I can now see why this album is considered influential in indie rock. Highlights: Summer Babe, In the Mouth a Desert, Here, Perfume-V
Good but felt very repetitive this listen for some reason.
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is still my favorite, but this album is ok.
Liked it; very weird lyrics with Beck-ish tones. Overall pretty good
Sometimes catchy, sometimes abrasive, but always interesting to listen to. Took a few extra listens though
An indie rock classic. Personally I like Crooked Rain more, but this is still a kick ass album
Glad for the opportunity to listen to more Pavement
Listen to it twice, and you'll like it more.
fun punk music! really interesting guitar tone!
I missed this one during my Pavement phase. Less polished than anything to come later. Whether deliberate or not, I don't know. Crooked Rain probably would have been a better pick than Slanted and Enchanted. I couldn't help but think of Sonic Youth while listening to this record. I know for a fact I will see Daydream Nation on this list eventually.
favs: summer babe conduit for sale! zürich is stained fame throwa
Perfect in its sloppy, messy, fuzzy joy.
Noisy 90’s indie rock but not bad if you’re in the right mood
Fun stuff, a nice slab of gritty slacker rock in a fairly compact package (a rarity for the 90s!)
Great early Pavement.
Absolutely enchanting lofi 90s alternative.
Listened to this a lot when it came out and it’s been a long time since so.. revisiting today and yeah it’s still that slacker manifesto across the years, catchy but discordant, “ Ive got one holy life to live. With wider experience and exposure it’s not quiet as innovative as it seemed, but good record, influenced others and some good memories 4 Star.
> The Beatles
I highly respect Pavement, and there is a lot of music I listen to that was directly inspired by them, but they occupy the same place as the Replacements in my mind - where I just can't get into them no matter how much I try. I think that I just feel like they have good elements but aren't "all the way there" - which would also explain why I like so many bands that took what both those bands did and then took it to the next level, adding something else that then got me in (like better singing or a bit tighter in the case of Pavement, for example). However, this album is an indie classic.
Really nice slacker music with great melodies.
Not my favorite Pavement record, but Pavement is Pavement.
I think this album makes this list mostly for its historical importance, but it's also actually a pretty solid listen. The production feels really fresh and clean, almost like it was recorded and published without much actual production. Musically, it's fine. It's not really great, but solid. More importantly, though, there's nothing bad about it. The vocals sometimes do a little weird scooping thing with tone, but that's really about it. And I think that's a little more important than occasionally sounding great. Mix that in with its music history significance, and it gets a little boost into 4 stars, otherwise it'd be a solid middle of the road kind of album. Favorite Song(s): In the Mouth a Desert
David Galea iconic album! I enjoyed actually
While listening to this, I sometimes felt like the sound was all over the place, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Still, it had an energy that kept me engaged the whole way through. I guess that’s indie rock. My main takeaway is that I need to listen to it again in full. Overall, I liked it quite a lot. It has that perfect indie rock sound that kept me hooked.
4.5
It's a good album, it does have some weak points but the strong parts are quite strong.
Garage indi rock ok+++
Pretty good.
I have a Pavement-shapped hole in my indie music knowledge that's big enough for you to drive a cement truck through. I think if I'd discovered them in the 90s, during that same window that I discovered bands like Violent Femmes, the Pixies and Weezer, I probably would have loved them. But, as it is, I appreciated this without loving it.
Not as strong as Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, or Terror Twilight but I still have a soft spot given my husband included 'Here' on a mix CD for me early in our relationship.
Fun.
Another unexpected win. Never heard of this band but they have a really listenable early 90's vibes that puts me in mind of Pixies with some Velvet Underground influences thrown in. I could criticise the album for being samey and having no standout tracks on first listen, but it was a good noise all the way through and I will definitely be relistening.
i am really not this biggest fan of slacker rock. but noise rock, and indie in general are really decent genres. the album in general has a really good sound, many songs are short and they succeeded in catching my attention. some songs are actually so unserious that they are half art. a lower 4. and there isn't that much of songs that im willing to revisit. 4/5
8/10 So painfully cool, to my way of thinking. Always been in my peripheral, but missed them in the 90s and never revisited. Really liked this - noisy but tuneful and interesting. Super slacker indie
8/10. I initially listened to this album because one of my peers is a Pavement fan. This is a really nice album. :)
Pavement Rules! This album rules and it’s not even their best one.
Yup, this was cool. I totally missed on Pavement back in the 90s, but I'm making up for lost time now.
80/100. Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement is a solid slacker rock album with a raw, unpolished charm. The mix of gritty riffs and a slight punk edge makes for an engaging and energetic listen. It captures a carefree yet expressive vibe that defines the era, making it a great record to revisit.
I've always preferred the more polished Crooked Rain, but I still really enjoyed revisiting this one, even if the comparisons to Sonic Youth and Pixies are undeniable.
why don’t I listen to pavement? And why do I only have one album on CD? It’s sloppy and messy and I liked it a lot.
I have heard this before when it was released, but didn't have a copy. I always liked "Summer Babe" but didn't really know the rest of the album. It's got a great frazzled atmosphere throughout, but with a sweet underbelly. The vocals are never quite completely in tune (and neither are the guitars), but this adds to the charm which was somehow missing later on in their careers.