Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

Fits well into that alt-90s space. Those guitars make me nostalgic for a different time.

Man, we’ve just been living our alt-rock truth in this little run. Yesterday PJ Harvey, the day before - Dinosaur Jr., and two days before that Sonic Youth. This is the second Pavement album. And you know what, I think I finally clicked with Pavement. I came to Pavement years after and I keep returning to this band because I love the sound but I just never meshed with them. I think now I have. I relistened to Slanted and Enchanted just last week and I think I enjoy that album more than this one overall, but damn “Range Life” is an all time track. Loved it. “Croocked Rain, Crooked Rain” ends up at a 4/5 for me.

(3/5) This is the second Pavement album that we've encountered, and I think I liked the other (earlier) one better. What was interesting about both is how they were both a portent of musical styles to come. Even though this one was from 1994, it honestly sounds closer to a late-90s/early-00s album.. the other album was ahead of it's contemporaries as well. That first album, though, pointed towards the early/mid-90s sounds and that's way more my style. This one was just too polished and party-ish. I wouldn't call them a new favorite, but I'm glad I got some exposure to then through this project.

Raw music without being emotional. Fine, totally not my style.

Pavement are indie rock gods. I still have all their albums and EPs, but this was the first one I owned and still one of my favorites. From this, I’ve always loved Gold Soundz, Range Life, Cut Your Hair, Silence Kid (Kit?), Unfair, Heaven Is A Truck, Hit the Plane Down, Stop Breathin, 5-4=Unity, Elevate Me Later, Newark Wilder, Fillmore Jive.

Started out good, perfect amount of grunge. But then every song sounded the same.

This feels age appropriate - like so much else produced in the mid 90s. Could be Weezer, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth at various points on the journey. I favorited 2 new songs I’d not previously heard and lately that would be enough to earn a 4. I will give it that for now to encourage return but expect may eventually revise down to 3. 4/5

One of Pavement's best, but all their albums are pretty great. An easy 5 stars.

Frábær plata! Var mjög hrifinn af soundinu og hún flæddi virkilega vel!

Indírokk eins og það gerist best. Þessi plata er algjör gullmoli, góð út í gegn með reglulegum hápunktum. Skemmtilegir textar. Pavement er bara svo góð hljómsveit og consistent. Eiginlega allt gott með þeim.

not for me

This album is a bit like a nice dream - enjoyable and pleasant while you’re in the middle of it, but as soon as it ends you can’t remember a thing about it. It’s ok.

Muy buen alternativo indie 90s, nada que ver con el grunge y del disco del 92 a este del 94 si le fueron perfeccionando. Me gusta la entonación de la guitarras

Sounds exactly like an early 90's rock album that I may have heard at some point and immediately forgot existed. Not awful but nothing stood out.

Ok

Made me somewhat reflective.

If you’re not familiar with Pavement I think this album could be a tough listen. It’s abstract, the singing is an acquired taste and frankly it’s a little bit all over the place. That’s the beauty of Pavement though because these songs are great. This album is a real grower. And over time what once felt like a stumble feels like a skip. What a great band.

Not much to say it’s just effortlessly great

man I loved this. Favourite new album in a while from these. Doesnt need standout singles just consistently good

Today's album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain gets five stars, of course. It's one of those albums that triggers a specific time in my life, bringing my allowance and neighborhood yardwork money to the record store and walking out with a stack of LPs and a need to find more neighborhoods to scrabble for cash. So I can't really be objective, but even imagining I could, I still think it's a classic, one of those albums that doesn't quite sound like any other album and even seems to have it's own anthropomorphic personality. I remember in college one of my best friends reminded me of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. He had never listened to it. Maybe this is a weird form of synesthesia. I've always thought of myself as a Let It Be (Replacements, not Beatles) when I was a kid. Now I feel like I'm Wish You Were Here. I'm babbling. It's great!

That brings me back to a time and place. Do I want to be there? Probably not.

Loved it. This would have been my favorite band in another life

Achei qualquer coisa, nem top 10 das melhores coisas lançadas na década de 90

Pretentious music that I definitely heard on Stranger Things. 2/5

Laid back messy indie rock masterpiece. Now, if you'll excuse me, I might go cut my hair...

Boring

Seems like Pavement may be resting on the laurels of their debut. Crooked Rain is a solid follow up to their debut, it’s carried by the threefer of Gold Soundz, 5-4=Unity, and Range Life. Regarding 5-4=Unity; Take 5 (Brubeck) minus Fab 4 (Because) equals Unity (0ne) Check it out. (3.8*s) Not sure why these guys didn’t get more mainstream radio play…

Pavement cleaned up their act and released a much better album than their debut. Either they got a better producer or actually recorded this in a studio with some talented people. Got a Beck-like Pixies mix vibe. Still got that grungy alternative sound but polished up with light piano additions and better composition. "Cut My Hair" is deservedly the top single with "Hit the Plane Down" and "5-4=Unity" close behind. I'm glad this one made the list cause I was pretty much writing the band off with what I heard on Slanted & Enchanted. Crooked Rain hits the Pavement running and cruises down the road. Ends a little low but I'm willing to look deeper into their catalog. 3.26 stars for driving one home.

I can't quite put into words what it is that doesn't hook me about Pavement. On paper I feel like they should be right up my alley. For some reason both Slanted and Crooked Rain came up as surprising misses. The only way I can try to explain it is that the albums are just too indie. Almost like they are trying to prove a point and be indie for indie's sake. I usually have positive reviews for stuff from the indie-alt rock genre but this just tries a little too hard to differentiate itself. It's not outright bad, it just comes up mostly empty and doesn't hook me like so many other indie acts have for some reason. I don't dislike them or their music but guess I'm just not a Pavement fan on the surface level. 1.96 stars

Rad

Stop breathin 1994 slacker rock Cut your hair Unfair Gold soundz Range life

I remember I had a tape with a Pavement album back in high school, but I don't really recognize it, so it might have been a different album, although this title is quite known to me. Finally I get to listen to it after all these years, so thank you to 1001 Albums. I have a weak spot for grungy 90s guitars, so this band and album suit me well. I like the bit lofi, unpolished guitars, sometimes almost sounding out of tune. It's a great album. "Cut Your Hair" has such a catchy hook. Yes, of course they are not the greatest singers in the world, but the bit raw, edgy voices fit perfectly with the sound. The last two songs, especially "Hit the Plane Down," are a bit less to my opinion, and therefore it just doesn't get added to the pile of 5s, but 4 is a good score for this album. 4/5

A great jump in quality from their previous record, but I still have some problems with it. First of all, really like the cleaner and better produced sound (as "Slanted and Enchanted" felt too rough and unpolished for me) while keeping the lo-fi aesthetics. It helps me appreciate more the melodic guitar and bass lines, and sentimental voice. Another thing I enjoy about this album is that it is somewhat captivating, intimate and personal thanks to the previously mentioned elements and the amateurism that adds its charm and makes the album feel genuine. I must say that I don't deeply resonate with it, but I do get the appeal. However, the lack of professional standards also comes with its problems. I find uncomfortable the out-of-tune notes that come in the middle of the most beautiful passages, as I think they ruin a bit the magic. Not that I do not like tense sounds in general, but in these cases, they mostly feel like fails that actually taint my experience. A great example is "Fillmore Jive" which starts with a nice shoegaze-ish vibe that is very dreamy and great, but it has some very tense and almost dissonant guitar towards the middle-end that leaves me with a bad aftertaste. Overall, I think it is a decent album that is soft, pleasant and personal when they don't hit the out-of-tune notes.

Don't really remember much off of this album to the point that I forgot to even rate and review it until now.

Never heard before. I have owned a copy of slanted and enchanted for years but never really got into it. This one i actually preferred. Whether i was just in the right place to hear it i don't know but it's definetly getting a repeated listen. The last song.....Filmore Jive. ..was especially good.

Pretty good, some 90's movie soundtrack ish in the beginning. It's not bad but I don't feel anything about it particularly strongly

a classic

*1994. Indie rock. *I thought I would dig this, and I think I almost do. It's a little too anti-climatic and I don't love the vocals (very amateur sounding), but I'm a sucker for 90s alt rock. *Excellent background music, but when you're actively listening, it doesn't really go anywhere. *There are some really solid California alt 90s songs - Cut Your Hair being the best. *I'm going to revisit this, which bumps it from a 3.5 to a 4. RATING 7/10

Pretty solid!

Trop trop bien, il faut que j'écoute plus de sons de leur groupe

Not too bad as far as alt rock goes, but progressively got worse as the album went on.

Had it's ups and downs. Solid grunge album. I won't remember it later. I'd rather see this live than listen at home.

Amazing indie rock album

Bland, soul-less, and mostly just annoying. My brain didn't even register this as music, I pretty much zoned it out the whole time.

Enjoyable slacker guitar college rock, but I don't get why this is a high watermark

5/10

분위기가 꽤 나쁘지 않았지만 전체적으로 평범한 느낌이었다. The atmosphere wasn't bad at all, but overall, it felt rather ordinary.

Correcto

How to describe Pavement in a short album blurb? Impossible. Just…unique indie rock. Wacky tobacki. Slacker vibes. Catchy as hell (usually). Exacerbating lyrics (occasionally). This one might be their best, though I’m sure “Slanted” and “Wowee” will show up for me later on in my 1001 journey.

no

I hadn't heard of Pavement before! I'm super intrigued. Will be revisiting.

Niet bijzonder

It’s okay

What do you know, these guys did improve from their previous album, and there are even signs that they've been practicing with their instruments over time. That doesn't equate to me actually LIKING what I hear on this one, but I can certainly see a progression toward something I WOULD like. Alas, there are no more required listens of their material on this list, so I may never know. I'll grudgingly round this one up to a 3/5 just to acknowledge the improvement.

209. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain - Pavement (1994) 9.19.26 Variety: 4 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 4 = 4.6 rounded up to a 5 "Out on my skateboard, the night is just humming/ And the gums smacks are the pulse I'll follow if my Walkman fades/ But I've got absolutely no one/ No one but myself to blame" I think people tend to forget just how short lived a reign that Grunge had in the 90s. Despite having been a regional thing for several years before, it didn't explode in the public consciousness and become a nationwide radio or MTV phenomenon until very late 1991, and it arguably peaked in mid 1994. And within a couple of sad, slow years it died away. It left a mark, sure, but by then "indie rock" had become some sort of catch all term for all of the stuff being pumped out in the scramble to sign the next big artist. A lot of these acts had much in common ethos wise, but musically they were all over the place. In reality, there's a pretty large gulf between a band like Pavement and a band like Ween, if on paper there would seem to be more similarities than not. I was just old enough to have witnessed and appreciated the Grunge boom, and to be taken with Nirvana especially, a little bit by Pearl Jam, and not so much by the others, whose stuff I mainly ingested via MTV replays of their biggest hits, and whose albums I never bought until much later. I didn't have long hair, I was a big nerd, and looking back I was what would have later been deemed aggressively normcore. However, when Weezer's Blue Album came out - I felt like I had found my people. Them, and later bands like Pavement and Nadasurf became my ideal musical lane for the bulk of the 90s, with stops along the way to appreciate the likes of Tool, Tori Amos, or Nine Inch Nails. Having grown up on the Beatles, and a lot of other 60s British invasion and super melodic pop rock, these band's focus on short, catchy tunes, at the expense of sounding "cool" really spoke to me. Brighten the Corners was the first Pavement album I bought, having caught wind of the music video for "Cut Your Hair" previously, but not being aware of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain til later. The band was funny, a bit nerdy looking, and seemingly uncaring about fashion trends ( which was, unbeknownst to me, a trend in of itself) and most importantly they appeared to be focused on catchy, ear-pleasing, somewhat laid back rock. I also have very fond memories of this and the next three albums being more or less the big touchstone albums for me for the remainder of that decade, with each one getting tighter and tighter ( Wowee Zowee was a blip though), and refining that melodicism. When I went backwards and got to Slanted and Enchanted ( already covered on the list) I was a bit disappointed at how messy and unevolved it was, despite the gold nuggets embedded within. But the line of growth was very much there and easy to track. I see a lot of people gripe about some artists having too many albums ( even the Beatles and Dylan!) but I'd have been more than fine if Pavement had three more. I actually think Brighten the Corners might be hands down their best, but Terror Twilight gives it a run for its money and might just be may favorite. They remain one of the few bands I can think of who just got better and better ( again Wowee Zowee is a blip in how rangy and loose it is, but is still very, very good - just lacking in the tighter, poppier material) until they stopped, and went out on a high note. Compare this with Weezer, who I still have a fondness for, but who long ago watered down their legacy with umpteen mediocre releases, even though they always have one or two tracks to remind you of how great they once were. This will one will be a treat. THE TRACKS "Silence Kid" - At the time it completely slipped by me, but there was a point much later where I specifically remember catching myself humming what I thought was this song, and then confusingly it morphed into "Everyday" by Buddy Holly ( the original Nerd Rock pioneer). This sort of lingered in the back og my brain for years, but I would notice it from then on anytime I heard it, and when it finally became easy to do so, I was able to look this up online and verify that yes, other people had noticed the same thing. I'm sure there must be whole Reddit threads, and Youtube comparison videos about it by now ( I checked and there are), but I chalked this up to influence and maybe homage on Malkmus's part. I didn't read about the accusations of stealing from The Fall til much later, so Pavement as melodic vultures was not a thing that was really on my mind. The song itself though? Excellent stuff, and painfully obviously a riff on the Buddy Holly classic, and I can't imagine the band would not expect people to notice. But importantly, this points towards that focus on melody that I mentioned before. This kind of thing is MY JAM, guys. It opens with what sounds like a lazy warm up and then launches into the song proper, which gives off more than a little of a jam band whiff, but quickly establishes the model for the rest of their career. Nonsense lyrics that are at best impressionistic and round about, shambling 70's classic rock guitar heroics as heard through the filter of a garage band just fucking around, and tight, catchy as hell melodies, all with a surface patina of noise on top. "Elevate Me Later" - And on to more of the same. This time a bit more chill, much just as melody forward. Malkmus puts a lot of effort into making his vocals sound meaningful, when there's absolutely no meaning whatsoever to be found. The cool trick is that the emotion comes across at all, and even more so that it's a relaxed sort of ennui that is identifiable. The lyrics are delivered almost like they're supposed to be insulting somehow, but figure that out if you can I guess... "Stop Breathin" - In slow motion, loose, with rambling lyrics and shaggy instrumentation, this one has a much more melancholic feel, especially in the chorus. It's all negative imagery, but that doesn't stop the languid melody from being still affectingly pretty. The jammy bit near the end that builds in volume even makes it sound a bit serious. These guys are speaking an emotional language, but it's a 90/10 split between the music and the words. "Cut Your Hair" - We get even more Dadaist lyrics here, but they're wrapped up in a very bubblegum pop blanket that possesses some almost but not quite traditional stitching that tricks you into thinking the band might just be finally getting around to being straightforward. But after those first two lines, it's COMPLETELY about what words just happen to fit the meter. This is a supremely catchy toe tapper, and as such got a well deserved if equally nonsensical but fun music video that was in regular rotation enough to get my attention. This is the band at their most mainstream and radio friendly, and is a great showcase for their ability to create giant hooks. I think the lack of anything a listener could sink their teeth into lyrics-wise ultimately hurt them critically, and commercially and helped foster the view that they were 110% flippant, hipster douchebags of the sort that didn't take any of this seriously ( which the few interviews I've seen from the time don't do much to dispel). The dedication to the craft puts that well to bed in my opinion, but I think is much easier to see in retrospect. I think had they leaned hard into this exact feel for more of their output, they would have left a larger footprint. Anyways - awesome song, and sadly probably the only one any non fans could name. Maaaaaaybe "Spit on a Stranger". I personally love this sort of thing though, and lyrics and meaning are waaaaay down the ranking of stuff I feel are important about popular music. Beck almost immediately was able to get away with much of the same sort of thing, and critics didn't bat an eye. I mean, Odelay is pretty unimpeachable, so.. But by and large a good majority of rock n roll lyrics are incredibly dumb and/ or cringeworthy. Even among the greats. Don't get me started on "Rocket Man" for example. It's all about how it makes me feel. And this stuff hits really well for me. By embracing the dumbness of lyrics though, Malkmus was maybe attempting to shield himself from any real criticism. You'd look like a fool trying to analyze any of this, and perhaps that was the point? But the music itself is far from being devoid of emotion. Malkmus puts a LOT of English on the delivery in many of their songs. "Newark Wilder" - More language that follows the rules and structures of English, and which seems to want to touch on human on the difficulties of human connectivity? Who knows. Let's not fall into that trap. It's got a downer tone, and is delivered with an equally lowkey and almost tender warblyness, that one could maybe even mistake it for a love song. "Unfair" - The tempo's up and the energy gets a real shot in the arm, with some vocals that get a wild and loud as they do on any of their songs. Generically California-based impressions abound, and the band indulges a tiny bit in the psychedelic, also namechecking the genre in case it wasn't clear. This was a nice mid-album adrenalin rush. "Gold Soundz" - Softm brightly ringing guitar tones, and a warm and nostalgic Tom Petty meets Guided by Voices melody make this one of the standout tracks for me, and really feel like the band reaching out and trying to grab onto some of that classic American rock sound. Hell "Gold Sounds" could be a back-translation of "warmly nostalgic music", like when you put an English phrase into google translate to see what happenes when you go into German, and then what weird version comes back again into English when you reverse it. And this is not quite roots music, but its still flirting around that edge where bands like Wilco were much more willing to dive in and acknowledge your Cougars Mellecamp, and your Johns Fogerty. "5-4=Unity" - Then seemingly out of nowhere we get the band's entirely instrumental take on space age bachelor pad jazz, with a few turns down some progressive side streets along the way. And who says Pavement is not diverse? This was pitch perfect. "Range Life" - While not willing to go full on "Pink Houses", the band is perfectly willing to add some country touches here, with the twangy strumming and the imagery of a yearning to get away. Possibly their most quintessential song, with Malkmus at his most disaffected and lazy in his delivery. It's also the song chosen for the totle of the weird mockumentaryi-sh fake band biopic from a couple of years ago, and supposedly the source of the one-sided beef with Billy Corgan, based on some very innocuous and ambiguous lyrics that casually mention Smashing Pumpkins ( and also Stone Temple pilots - alas the only time the latter might appear on the list). "Heaven Is a Truck" - This is the one song on the album that never quite captured me as much as the other stuff. Listening to it now, I really like the touches like the piano and the tambourine, and it plays as much more melodic than I've previously given it credit for. I think it sort of petering out might have not helped it in the past either. I'm much more patient nowadays about bands straying out of the classic pop song structure. "Hit the Plane Down" - This one feels much more like a throwback to their earlier, even shaggier and more sharp edged sound, and is maybe the last time they could be credibly accused of ripping off the Fall. This one sounds SO much like a conscious rip off that it almost seems like them jokingly acknowledging the influence. Either way, I'm down for it. As abrasive and off-putting as they are trying to be, there's still a great central melodic hook. "Fillmore Jive" - I think this one feels, especially at the beginning with lyrics like "I'd like to invite you to taste of my chalice It's a special one, it's made of gold" delivered in a voice that sounds like a parody of the late 60's psychedelic stereotype, feels even more like a piss-take. When the more serious sounding elegiac lyrics come in and the band devolves into a more modern rock sort of Phishy/ Grateful Deadish jam, it feels like the joke has fallen a bit flat and maybe the band cares more than it would like to admit about whatever way music seems to be going. The lyrics get more literal here and we get some unflattering portraits of several scenes, none of which seem mean spirited as much as they do regretful. The one time on the album that the band seems focused on delivering actual message and it falls short for me. Not a waste of time by any means, but far too long and out of their comfort zone to hit the highs of the best stuff here. The one minor blemish on an otherwise amazing record. HIGHLIGHTS - "Silence Kid" - "Elevate Me Later" - "Stop Breathin" - "Cut Your Hair" - "Newark Wilder" - "Unfair" - "Gold Soundz" - "5-4=Unity" - "Range Life" - "Heaven Is a Truck" - "Hit the Plane Down" MIDLIGHTS - "Fillmore Jive" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS Listening back to this after some time without much Pavement in my life, I'm struck by how many more of their great songs are on this than on Wowee Zowee, which looking at it - seems like much more of whole piece. I'd put most of the tracks on this up against any of the best of their later material though, and it has me wondering how those last 4 albums are going to actually come out in the wash when all things are said and done. Either way, this one has a VERY high place in my personal musical canon, and is one of the highlights of the 90s for me. Since there are more left on the list, I guess I'll have to listen on my own time ( listening to Wowee Zowee as I type this sentence and am stuck by how much more it feels like the band trying to reinvent the idea of a jam band with more country and psychedelic influences throughout). It's almost harder sometimes to find as much to say about albums I truly love as there is always some sort of undefinable quality that squiggle away when I try to pin it down. Pavement I think might remain as my ideal 90s band though. That they never had a decline, and still left a respectable amount of material certainly helps. Possible turn-Offs might include: - Nonsensical lyrics - disaffected vocal delivery on some tracks - a jammy, messy presentation - some purposefully antagonistic choices You Might enjoy this if you: - great hooks and melodies - chill vibes - don't like your music to be too clean and overproduced - don't mind a touch of goofiness and humor in your rock music PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Nah, I'm good. FURTHER LISTENING Precursors: - This Nation's Saving Grace by the Fall - Jane from Occupied Europe by the Swell Maps - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Vehicle by the Clean - Alien Lanes by Guided by Voices Contemporaries: - Weezer ( Blue Album) by Weezer - High/ Lowby Nadasurf - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco - Without a Sound by Dinosaur Jr. - There's Nothing Wrong with Love by Built to Spill Descendants: - Starlite Walker by Silver Jews - Human Performance by Parquet Courts - Major Arcana by Speedy Ortiz - Teens of Denial by Car Seat Headrest

Enjoyed this a lot, I can hear where a lot of 2000s indie bands got some of their ideas from in this.

4/5

Album started good, soon descended into generic indie rock but scattered throughout was an immense sound that just lacked a vocal to support it until the last track…. Just felt like there was no imagination or feeling put into this record by the lead singer- as musically it sounded good but I just didn’t buy into the vocal. Now if PJ Harvey or Thom Yorke was the vocalist on the album I would be raving about it more I’m sure as the musical side of things is there… Worst track- ‘5-4=unity Best track- A few ‘stop breathin’ ‘Newark wilder’ and ‘gold sounds’ all sounding good but actually the best track by an absolute country mile was ‘Fillmore jive’ it not only had the sound but the vocal really suited this track too!!! I’m really torn on how to score this as I’ve got mixed feelings but for that last track and that ending wow I’m going to go with a solid 8/10 and I’m sure the rest of the album will grow on me with another listen!

Pavement - Crooked Rain x 2 The first few seconds really set the tone for the rest of the album. Always sounds on the verge of falling apart but then comes together in this joyous cacophony that somehow holds its shape despite wobbles, false starts, stumbled endings and general shambling honesty. I love the humour of Cut Your Hair, the rumble of Unfair, the short but perfectly formed Gold Soundz, the closing positivity of Filmore Jive....but it's when they play it absolutely straight with the country styling of Range Life that this album really takes my heart. I find myself singing that chorus over and over. And that fact that it pissed off Billy Corgan so much he kicked Pavement out of Lollapalooza is just a bonus. Bald headed grumpy weirdo. An album where the guitars and songs wrap me up warm and safe in a threadbare, but much loved, old blanket. One one where I smile from start to finish. Best Track - Range Life Worst Track - 5-4=Unity 8.5/10

yeah ok

This album was fine. I enjoyed it, but it didn't make me stop and go "Damn, this some good shit." There was like one moment in one of the songs that sort of gave me that reaction, but beyond that, I enjoyed the album well enough but I don't think I needed to listen to it before I die, yknow?

Still don't see why people go nuts for Pavement. They're not bad, but they're not good. Maybe you have to see them live? Or maybe they should tighten up their playing and stay on key?

I liked this more than Slanted and Enchanted because the songs were stronger (and not just because they nicked one of them from Buddy Holly).

Tepid

Pretty middle of the road, but worth a listen.

I wish the last two songs on this album were better (and those songs keep it from a 5), but the rest of this gold (Gold Soundz if you will).

Should've left this album on the pavement. Nahh just jokes, but honestly its pretty middle of the road. It strikes me as an alternative to Smashing Pumpkins, at least as far as vocals are concerned. Its okay, I cant recall really anything that stood out to me, but it did paint a nice picture of the 90's rock music scene for me.

Rock music with atonal singing. Classic indie rock scenario. I’ve never been the biggest fan of this kind of rock and this didn’t do anything to change my mind

Good

Loved it when it came out. Love it now. Time has made stuff like Slanted and Enchanted more approachable and, to my ears, made Crooked Rain less a "pop" follow up and more consistent with their debut, albeit with some more immediate songs like Cut Your Hair, Unfair, and Range Life. But the flow of Crooked Rain is what makes it great, with lots of loose, shaggy tunes interspersed with the "hits." Not a bad song in the bunch.

good :)

1) 5-4=Unity 2) Fillmore Jive 3) Stop Breathin Least Favourite: Range Life

Very early 90s sounding rock - something that could definitely fit me on paper. But for some reason I find this to be a quite boring record. Even the supposed hit 'Cut Your Hair' lacks any kind of interesting melody and hook. I don't know, the songs just aren't particularly interesting despite the sound being so. Strong 2.

The first album we had on this list was a Pavement album which I gave a 1 star review. After closer to 900 more albums I can finally say that i still don’t like Pavement. I mean it’s hardly surprising as 90s alternative is not my thing. Still, I actually enjoyed ”Gold Soundz” and the outro of ”Fillmore Jive” made me think of the Swedish band ”Kent”. 2 stars.

Never heard of them, but the album is pretty good.

The album is an alright sophomore album. I don't think it's as good as "Slanted and Enchanted". There's no standout track on "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain". Pavement only needed one album on the list. One more week completed. 3 stars for "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain".

Pavement is such a mixed bag for me. I should like them, I love 90s alternative stuff, and a bunch of bands influenced by Pavement, and I've even liked songs I've heard in shows and movies by Pavement, but every time I try to sit and listen to Pavement I just don't care for it.

I didn't love this, but it's not bad

SNOOZER! This was so boring I forgot to write notes. With a weekend between listening and rating I honestly don't even remember listening to this. Yes, it's THAT forgettable.

I would think that this would be one of those albums that was right up my alley. Its just not all that much. Im not sure what it is even. I like a bunch of their contemporaries. Pixies are one of my favorite bands. And im pretty down with dinosaur Jr as well. Just pavement hasn't hit the same way those bands do. They have a similar loud and distorted instrumentation. Maybe its the vocals? Dj is similar though. I just csnt place what it is. Should be a record I love and I just sorta kinda like it a little. Cut your hair is a great song but thats all o got really. Everything else is good too just not good enough for me. Oh well. Maybe if I get another record ill see them in a better light but for now its just decently good but thats it

i feel like the first mistake is reading 5 star reviews and thinking "wow, this changed their life so it should be too". i mean this album is alright, vocals are a bit... eh, and there is def better stuff in that genre in the decade to fawn over but this is good? nothing wrong

There is this bleh sound that comes across the whole album, like it doesn't do anything. Like, I know the artists are talented, but by the end, it all sounds the same. This indie sound is not my thing.

4 stars

The other Pavement album from the project amazed me and had me wanting more, but this album felt pretty average today (they both could have hit me on opposite days of the spectrum). I’ll have to dig into their catalog and figure out exactly what’s going on

Listened to this and their 1st album a LOT back in the 90s. Should revisit more often. Bit less low fi than slanted, but still that almost DIY feel with that casual persona, THE slacker band. Though that is very deceptive as pavement are very good, there music is sharp and more going on than the image hints at, lyrics are articulate and there are little hooks throughout, . Yeah should dig out my vinyl and listen more. 4 Stars but got to boost to 5 for personal reasons of what it meant back then

For a 90s album it doesn't sound 90s, but it's pretty decent. 2.7

I first listened to Pavement just over two years ago, when this list gave me their debut album Slanted And Enchanted. And I've definitely come a long way since then. I hated that album when I first heard it, I thought it was messy and lacked coherence, and gave it one star. But since then, I have slowly but surely fallen in love with Pavement. Their debut, while still a slightly weaker album in their discography in my opinion, is still one I now really enjoy. But Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is truly something special. This here is absolute peak slacker rock, taking the rawness and grit of the genre and making into something impressively cohesive. Despite the chaos and seeming lack of structure, everything on this album from the pacing, the writing, and the production are all brilliant. Some moments are genuinely really beautiful, while some parts are almost comedic. I'm so glad I decided to give this band the proper time of day, because this is an album I now couldn't ever imagine not loving.

Likte det!

The song-writing and energy on this record far surpasses Pavement’s debut album in my opinion. It feels more mature, more intelligent, more significant. As raw & un-polished as it feels (arguably similar to Slanted & Enchanted), this one has many more memorable tracks and lasting impact. Going for a strong 8/10, light 9/10 for this one.

2.5/5. Had some good moments but felt amateurish and it kinda took me out of it. This would really fit the vibe for like a certain kind of house party.

Pavement and I have a weird relationship. I have a few albums electronically, but I would never classify myself as a fan, but i still enjoy the records and the solo work as well as the collab work with the silver jews. This is a great album, and I used to think I preferred slanted and enchanted , but i might prefer this more. Lots of notable songs, but my standout tracks are Gold Soundz, Range Life and the the great guitarwork on Fillmore Jive. The second half is significantly better than the first half. 4 stars

Always really enjoyed the bands vibe and this album had a lot of their best songs. However some of the songs were not so memorable but it fit in with the rest of their sound. The guitarist and the singer have a great chemistry and the listen was very enjoyable

.ляя... Пиксис 2.0, хоть вокал и получше, но все равно больно. 5-4=Unity - единственный адекватный трек

Хотелось оценить выше учитывая, что это моя любимая индюшатина, но это просто ни о чем. Ужасный вокал, ок музыка, стремные экспериментальные решения. Топ-1 - Не выбрал Топ-2 - Newark Wilder

Lo-Fi, stoned, very indy. I should dislike this, but it really works.

I bought this about a year after it came out because it was getting a lot of praise. Absolutely hated it then for some reason.

I recognized Cut Your Hair, but not much else . Maybe I have to listen to it more to grow on me, but otherwise I didn't get the adoration. Seemed lazy and unfinished.

4.5

Really good slacker rock. 4.5 stars

I was somewhat late to the Pavement party as I didn't get into them until *Brighten the Corners*, but it compelled me to pick up their previous three albums and they quickly became one of my all-time favorite bands. On the surface, it's a very tossed off sound, but there's some incredible melodies and clever lyrics here. It's hard to tell if they actually weren't slackers and just just lucked into writing great songs or they were masters of their craft and just wanted a sound that was really loose and effortless. Either way, it's a great mix. Just about every song is a classic here, but my highlights are "Silence Kid", "Elevate Me Later", "Gold Soundz", "Range Life", and the sublime closer, "FIllmore Jive" . High 5 stars.