Reviews
Ranked #11 on Spin's List of the "Top 20 Albums of the Year.", 8 (out of 10) - "...these tunes want you and they're not shy about it. They catch you up, charm, rouse, and freak you, and don't often ridicule....BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS is a guitar-rock album invigorated by hip-hop, in the same way MARQUEE MOON was a guitar-rock album invigorated by reggae...", Ranked #10 in the Village Voice's 1997 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll., Ranked #24 in Nme's 1997 Critics' Poll., "With some of Pavement's finest moments; from 'Shady Lane' to 'Stereo,' it's a welcome revisit to one of the most 'indie' bands ever.", "Curbing their smarty-pants indulgences, these wiseacres get down to business, crafting indie guitar rock that ebbs and flows with delicate power....BRIGHTEN proves there are still signs of life in this otherwise moribund genre." - Rating: B, Included in Cmj's List of "Top 25 College Radio Albums of All Time", 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "In 1997, these slacker romantics slowed things down and serenaded their fans, delivering an album short on noise and long on artfully dissonant ballads.", 3 Stars Out of 5 -- "Pavement Could Breathlessly Churn Out Melodies and Riffs.", 4 stars out of 5 -- "This 1997 set showcases the band at its breeziest...as singer Stephen Malkmus muses slightly less cryptically than usual over loose-limbed guitars and honest-to-goodness hooks.", 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...Pavement have fallen into a more straightforward emotional gush on BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS....It's like Husker Du playing lo-fi pop punk with a spiked, almost newsworthy literate prosemaster, high on Pixies-flavoured twists...", 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...The licks are still crispy, and the hooks are still catchy. Toe-tappingly catchy, in fact, to the point that BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS is likely to appeal broadly...", "The Singles 'stereo' and 'Shady Lane' Are Among the Band's Best...", "A trove of effortless pleasures, from the pogo-party frolic 'Stereo' to the rickety, fuzzed-up gem 'Date w/ Ikea.'" -- Grade: A, 4 stars out of 5 -- "Moments of melodic pop genius such as 'Shady Lane' and Byrds-influenced 'Date w/Ikea' sit snugly next to the quieter likes of 'Transport Is Arranged' and beautiful 'Starlings Of The Slipstream.'", Recommended - "...melodic, accessible and...Sixties-influenced....In the same way Pavement's early material could've been seen as a loving tribute to the off-kilter eccentricity of The Fall, their fourth album is Britpop seen through a trans-Atlantic cultural prism...", 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...reaffirms what was likeable about Pavement in the first place: their angular but graceful melodies, their languorous anti-anthems and, of course, Malkmus' labyrinthine--and often funny or poignant--lyrical turns...", 4 stars out of 5 -- "BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS remains the indie subersives' sturdiest selection of songs, with a slight return of the Gen X anthem in the switchbacking, Geddy Lee-invoking 'Stereo' and a resurgence of mainman Stephen Malkmus's needling wiseacre persona..."
