Album: Terror Twilight Release Date: 6/8/1999 Length: 44:44 Label: Matador Rating: 7.9 |
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| Track Listing | |
1. Spit on a Stranger (3:04)  |
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| 2. Folk Jam (3:34) | |
| 3. You are a Light (3:54) | |
4. Cream of Gold (3:45)  |
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| 5. Major Leagues (3:24) |
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| 6. Platform Blues (4:40) | |
| 7. Ann Don't Cry (4:08) | |
| 8. Billie (3:45) | |
| 9. Speak, See, Remember (5:37) | |
| 10. The Hexx (6:18) |
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| 11. And Carrot Rope (4:02) | |
| Review | |
| I love Pavement. I really could end this review right there, and hopefully you’d all download the two songs I gave thumbs up to, but that wouldn’t be enough. Soon you’d fall in love with the straggling fuzzy guitars and the obtuse nature of the lyrics. You’d download the songs I gave thumbs down to then, and hopefully you’d write me hate-filled e-mails telling me I suck for thinking "Major Leagues" is a "thumbs-down" song. | |
| None of the songs on this record are bad. None of them even come close to being anything less than very good. But the AoN format dictates I must give two thumbs down, and so it falls on "Major Leagues" and "Spit On A Stranger." They are not bad songs! Download them, please! Go buy the rest of the album, also! | |
| Supposing however, that you’re not just going to take my word for it in regards to Pavement or this particular album, Terror Twilight, I’d best give you a reason to believe me. My reasons for liking this album revolve around lyrics like "Well pardon my birth, I just slipped out / origins I can't brag about / spawn of a bank inquisitor / And thieves I wish" from the song "Folk Jam." | |
| Lead vocalist and guitarist Stephen Malkmus just has a terrific way of telling a story. His speak-sing style of vocalizing is also incredible to listen to when backed by the steady rhythm the rest of the band provides. | |
| "So much for destiny, | |
| A pin prick on my knee, | |
| The frost you paint | |
| across our dead affair. | |
| I sensed the toxic aura | |
| from the second we touched, | |
| You were stitched up venom | |
| and I was the cursed from the Vedic." | |
| That is reason number two I love the album, and again has to do with the lyrics. This time I borrowed from the brilliant "Cream of Gold" for my lyrical sampling. I could make this review about twenty pages long, just quoting different lyrics from every single song on this album -- they’re all very good, but I won’t do that. | |
| What’s shocking is that, this, the last of Pavement’s recordings together, isn’t even one of their strongest. As great as this record is, I had to give it a 7.9 because they have better records out, that would have to receive higher scores, if Luke or I ever reviews them. It says a lot for a band that even in their waning moments they were able to come together to make a record as good as Terror Twilight. | |
| Though it is rather unfortunate that the band broke up just after the release of the album, sometimes it is for the better. Here’s hoping for some sort of grand Pavement reunion tour sooner than later, because as solid as Malkmus’ initial solo offering was, it didn’t quite match up to anything his old band had done. | |
| Honestly, it is hard to gush about a record that is so fun to listen to, other than to tell you that it is fun to listen to. This is one of the only records I’ve ever heard that could successfully combine bluesy songs ("Folk Jam," "Platform Blues") pop songs ("Major Leagues," "Carrot Rope"), and straight out rock songs ("The Hexx," "Speak, See, Remember") and have every genre mix perfectly with the last. I miss Pavement. I love Pavement. | |
| Rating: 7.9 | |
| - Dan Kricke |
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