Brighten the Corners
The fourth album, played live in one room in North Carolina, and the first they let someone else steer.
Pavement, 1997
- Released
- 11 February 1997
- Recorded
- 15 to 30 July 1996
- Studio
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Label
- Matador
- Producer
- Pavement, Bryce Goggin and Mitch Easter
- Length
- 46:10
With the members living far apart, the band made few demos and recorded most songs together in one room at Mitch Easter's studio in Winston-Salem. Ibold said about four of them are first takes. It was mixed in September 1996 at Water Music Recorders. West called it the most mellow and lyrically dark record they had made. Kannberg wrote and sang Date w/ IKEA and Passat Dream, and Malkmus wrote the rest.
It reached 70 in the US and 27 in the UK, with Stereo and Shady Lane as singles, and came tenth in the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll for 1997. Erlewine found it more focused than Wowee Zowee. The Nicene Creedence Edition (2008) added B-sides and rarities.
Track listing
- Stereo3:07
- Shady Lane / J vs. S3:50
- Transport Is Arranged3:52
- Date w/ IKEA2:39
- Old to Begin3:22
- Type Slowly5:20
- Embassy Row3:51
- Blue Hawaiian3:33
- We Are Underused4:12
- Passat Dream3:51
- Starlings of the Slipstream3:08
- Fin5:24
Personnel
- Stephen Malkmus lead vocals, guitar
- Scott Kannberg guitar, backing vocals; lead vocals on Date w/ IKEA and Passat Dream
- Mark Ibold bass
- Bob Nastanovich percussion, backing vocals
- Steve West drums, percussion
- Mitch Easter recording, producer
- Bryce Goggin recording, mixing, producer
More from Pavement
Slanted and Enchanted (1992), Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
Sources
- Brighten the Corners, Wikipedia
- Inside This Leather Terrarium: Brighten the Corners at 25, Rock and Roll Globe (2022-02-11)
- Brighten the Corners (LP), Discogs