All This Soundz Gas

It’s barely a year since Pavement called quits on a stunning ten year career and we’ve already had a Stephen Malkmus solo album.

Not to be outdone, Pavement’s other principle songwriter Scott Kannberg, known affectionately to his fans as Spiral Stairs, bursts back into the fray with his own post-Pavement project the Preston School Of Industry. Just as Malkmus’ new songs are no radical departure from the bright and breezy tongue-in cheek guitar pop his former band perfected, Kannberg also plays to his strengths and ends up sounding remarkably like (ahem) Pavement.

It comes as little surprise to learn that a couple of these numbers were originally destined for 1999’s poorly received Terror Twilight.

Opening track and first single ‘Whale Bones’ sounds as Pavement as it gets. Not surprisingly, it also laments the break-up of his former band. It’s a solid selection and will delight anyone who loved Kannberg’s former band.

However, if you don’t already own any of the truly great Pavement records (Slanted And Enchanted, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Brighten The Corners) you’d be better advised to invest your pocket money a little more wisely.

One for the completists rather than the curious.