An old coworker of mine despised Pavement; his complaint was that it didn’t seem like they cared about anything, they’d just go on stage or in studio and screw around, and it insulted him as a listener. How well that 90s slacker mentality holds up depends on whether you think it’s real; I suspect it’s a front. Stephen Malkmus is trying hard to write great rock songs (and succeeding), his insouciant presence disguising a sensitive craftsman’s soul. Most of the songs in this set could be described as ‘ramshackle,’ but they’re all minor miracles of songwriting.