"Real Emotional Trash" by Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks (Matador Records) - Out now

The new cd by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, currently out on Matador Records, proves that indie music doesn’t always mean three-minute blasts of sound by young rockers. Malkmus’ band fills neither criteria.

Malkmus is in the “dad” stage of life after all. It’s the type of album that has to sink in after a few listens, but is well worth the time.

Malkmus originally was part of the 90s influential indie band Pavement. He formed The Jicks in 2000, very soon after Pavement folded.  Malkmus’ solo music tends to mirror the flavor of that band. But on this album, he just goes runs off on tangents, and it works, the majority of the time. The Jicks consists of Joanna Bolme on bass; Malkmus on guitar and vocals; Mike Clark on the keyboard; and Janet Weiss on drums and backing vocals.

At times, the songs sound overly dramatic or epic, with fuzzy guitar dipping and rolling along. Cohesive drumming and bass hold up the back. Synth provides a funky feel. The album is hard-rocking but melodic and catchy. It tends to lean on the hippie-love vibe at times, with a touch of prog-rock thrown in, as on “Elmo Delmo.” “Baltimore” has a real rock feel, especially at the end where it’s a jam fest. But the album doesn’t get too lost in experimentation; it always meets up with the original melody at the end.

“Dragonfly Pie,” the opener, is reminiscent of Grateful Dead and the 70s. Malkmus’ voice even has that reverb that hearkens back to John Lennon in his early solo music.

The majority of “Real Emotional Trash” is like a psychedelic journey. It’s an easygoing, enjoyable ride, and allows you to simply sit back. It includes stories of characters suitable for a circus show. Malkmus’ lyrics are goofy at times, definitely not ethereal, but memorable nonetheless. “I feel like a nympho, stuck in a cloister,” he complains on “Cold Son.”

The songs tend to slow down, and then speed up- an unpredictable rollercoaster. In “Real Emotional Trash,” the longest song at just barely over 10 minutes, you don’t know where the journey is going to take you: Will it explode, or slowly fade away? You’ll have to give a listen to find out.

Download this track now: "Cold Son"