Pig Lib

Persevere, though, and Pig Lib graciously reveals its excellence. The two most obvious influences on spindly, febrile epics like "1% of One" and "Witch Mountain Bridge" are Television and Fairport Convention and Malkmus is particularly good at highlighting the affinities between New York artpunk and British folk-rock through his notably improved guitar playing. Less rockist souls, meanwhile, will be heartened by evidence of his continuing Ray Davies fetish on "Vanessa from Queens" and, especially, the "Waterloo Sunset" styled "Craw Song". But this is an album that demands to be lived with, nurtured and have attention lavished upon it for it to amply repay the kindness. Another classic, eventually, in Malkmus's remarkably trash-free catalogue. --John Mulvey