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Mirror Traffic

Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks

Mirror Traffic

Fifth album from the Portland, Oregon indie rock quartet fronted by the former Pavement singer

ADM rating[?]

7.6

Label
Domino
UK Release date
22/08/2011
US Release date
23/08/2011
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  1. 8.6 |   Beats Per Minute

    Not only his most consistently rewarding release, but also perhaps the best starting point for those unfamiliar with his solo career
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  2. 8.3 |   musicOMH

    A genuine career highlight and a collection that can only get better and better with repeat spins
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  3. 8.0 |   State

    Certainly Malkmus’ most enjoyable and infectious set of songs as a solo artist
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  4. 8.0 |   No Ripcord

    Satisfyingly realized and solid
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  5. 8.0 |   Scotland on Sunday

    There seems to be little point in returning to Pavement when Malkmus's street credibility seems solidly intact with the Jicks
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  6. 8.0 |   Bowlegs

    Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks have rarely disappointed, but on ‘Mirror Traffic’ they may well have surpassed all that has gone before
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  7. 8.0 |   DIY

    These songs buzz unashamedly with warmth and melody
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  8. 8.0 |   Prefix

    There's a youthful energy to this record that I thought Malkmus had lost, and to see him recapture it - not to mention write his best set of songs in years - is a small but satisfying surprise
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  9. 8.0 |   Tiny Mix Tapes

    It's a subtle album about an unexpected range life, full of slow talk and afterglows, the work of a confident and comforting craftsman
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  10. 8.0 |   PopMatters

    Not simply a heartening, satisfying nod back to the glory days that made him who he is as an artist, but a reflection of what’s possible for him going forward
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  11. 8.0 |   The Skinny

    Features an impressively broad sweep of ideas. Above all, it demonstrates an admirable desire to continue evolving as a songwriter
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  12. 8.0 |   Uncut

    Consistently entertaining, beautifully recorded, enough lyrical Malkmusings to occupy a generation of decoders, plus it rocks
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  13. 8.0 |   Q

    Beck's production helps Malkmus's fifth post-Pavement album roll by with a supremely confident West Coast looseness. Print edition only

  14. 8.0 |   Mojo

    The usual mix of liquid '70s fuzz, weepy pedal steel, psych-folk signature changes, affectless vocals, and droll supergeek lyrics. Print edition only

  15. 8.0 |   Spin

    A patient, inviting album that feels like a fresh start from a guy whose recording career spans multiple boom-and-bust cycles, both for indie rock and the economy
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  16. 8.0 |   BBC

    Mirror Traffic feels like one of those records that’ll tempt fair-weather fans back to the Malkmus name
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  17. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    A pleasing distillation of his contrarian mind
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  18. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    A fruitful and distinctive addition to Malkmus’ oeuvre, not least thanks to Beck
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  19. 8.0 |   NME

    Malkmus has shown that he is not defined by his past
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  20. 8.0 |   Rave Magazine

    The album delivers some wonderfully catchy discordant pop
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  21. 8.0 |   The Fly

    This is his most immediate and consistently engaging record in years
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  22. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    Dropping a couple of songs would have made it a tighter set, but Malkmus still has a terrific knack for the old slanting and enchanting
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  23. 8.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    An album that captures one of indie rock’s longstanding heroes still at the top of his game.
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  24. 7.8 |   Paste Magazine

    From Mirror Traffic‘s very first loping riff, that which opens the album on easy-going country jaunt “Tigers” and is accompanied by pedal steel, it’s clear this is going to be an enjoyable album
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  25. 7.7 |   Pitchfork

    Mirror Traffic possesses a relaxed, spontaneous feel befitting his earlier days in NoCal
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  26. 7.5 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Not only does it set Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks as a real group, and not merely a hobby, but puts Malkmus as a master craftsman on his own terms
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  27. 7.5 |   FasterLouder

    Stands easily next to some of Malkmus’s past works
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  28. 7.0 |   Slant Magazine

    His standard of work is so smart that the stupid parts come off refreshing, and even middle-range material like Mirror Traffic feels strikingly well-crafted
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  29. 7.0 |   Under The Radar

    The most focused Malkmus release since his 2001 solo debut
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  30. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    The album hints that Malkmus' softer side has become his best side. The guy really is a nuanced guitar player, possibly the most underrated of his generation
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  31. 6.7 |   A.V. Club

    As a lunge at restoring Malkmus’ rock ‘n’ roll relevance in the 2010s, the album falls short
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  32. 6.0 |   The Observer

    Every track reveals more pleasure with each listen
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  33. 6.0 |   Independent on Sunday

    Stephen Malkmus is back making amiable but unchallenging off-kilter country rock songs
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  34. 6.0 |   Clash

    A disappointing collection of hits and misses - with the latter winning on points
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  35. 5.0 |   The Quietus

    The kind of album that makes you loathe college education, if only because of the contortions to which zealous smart alecks Malkmus subjects the language
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  36. Back to main chart

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Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks: Mirror Traffic

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