Album Review: Stephen Malkmus – Groove Denied (Matador)

Malkmus fans came close to being denied Groove Denied, but finally his record label relented and  has allowed the little beast to wander out on its own.

Supposedly years in the making, though I’m assuming in drips and drabs, former Pavement leader Stephen Malkmus proudly presented this totally solo effort to Matador Records back in 2017. The label listened, the label turned it down, claiming it “wasn’t the right time”.

Since then, Malkmus got back with The Jicks and made last year’s Sparkle Hard…a complete fine, if somewhat predictable Malkmus project.

Now, apparently, is the time for Groove Denied, a decidedly non-typical Malkmus affair.

It turns out, while in Berlin, Stephen got turned on to techno, which unlocked his inner 80s synth-pop muse.

Don’t worry, Malkmus hasn’t gone all Human League on us, although he does cite the band as an influence.

From the sound of opening track Belziger Faceplant, it seems our man has bought himself some cheap drum machines and sound-emitting electronic devices and recorded himself trying to learn how to operate them.

The same can be said for the following track, appropriately titled, A Bit Wilder.

But by track three’s Viktor Borgia, songs emerge. This one sporting a playful synth figure and a vocal that sounds like The Cars with a dash of Tubeway Army.

Those longing for some Pavement vibe will appreciate Come Get Me with its dirty guitar riff and a more traditional Malkmus-style vocal.

Flip the record over and suddenly it seems like I’m playing a long-lost Nuggets track. It’s called Rushing The Acid Frat and it rocks! Hands down, it’s the best song on the album and I’d love to hear Mr Malkmus explore this side of himself further.

But the sonic experiment moves on…

Love The Door stutters into a mighty mashup before slipping into a groovy groove while Boss Viscerate is a laid back affair that finds Stephen crooning about “the way you occupy prosaic space”…very Pavement.

Then we get the bouncy pop tune Ocean Of Revenge featuring a meandering guitar figure and a lyric about Mississippi, “where cotton is king”.

Finally, Groove Denied comes to a close with the rather intimate Grown Nothing. “There’s too many people here, I wish they would disappear”, Malkmus ruminates.

Perhaps that was the plan all along.

The first couple of tracks on Groove Denied would most certainly scare away the less adventurous listener. But perseverance will reward those will to stick with it. This is the rare album that gets better the further in you venture.

Marty Duda