Mirror Traffic

Coming off a triumphant year of Pavement reunion shows, Stephen Malkmus returned to the studio with Beck producing to record his fifth solo album, Mirror Traffic. Early press reactions are calling this gorgeous, crystalline production "the album we've been waiting 10 years for him to make," and it certainly contains the most heartfelt and indelible songs he's written in years. Gone are the long guitar workouts and jams that marked the last couple of Jicks albums, replaced by incredibly catchy and endearing pop songs.