Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus seems to have a romantic side, maybe that’s a bit strong, but on this lovely album there’s not much obvious angst. Made with Decemberist Chris Funk and a bunch of great instruments and musicians Traditional Techniques
is a feast of acoustic guitars with very little in the way of the percussive. The sound is reverberant and rich but a little thick in the lower frequencies, the vocals, guitars and fabulous arrangements stand out however and the songs are somewhat obscure but the important thing is the vibe which is warm and harmonious. It could almost be a folk record but has a contemporary twist that marks it out as something more original.
JK