You're At It

This is an odd way to start an album that is otherwise full of pretty catchy garage rock. It's a plodding song with average hooks, sounding like some sort of early to mid-'90s Touch and Go act (Tar, I'm looking at you). But it does have two things going for it: a great line and a guitar solo by Stephen Malkmus. Yes, artistic purity aside, Robert Pollard wants to sell records, so why not make sure Mr. Malkmus' name is fairly prominent on the back cover and that the song on which he appears leads off the album?

Oh, and that line? In an otherwise bland lyric, Pollard drops this: "This form of suicide’s not quick enough, what else ya got?" Worried you'll miss it? Don't be. He's knows a good thing when he writes it, and he repeats it again and again, with more fervor, as the song comes to a close.

Malkmus' solo is a fine bit of noodling, though nothing about it shouts "Pavementi!" to these ears. All told, it's a decent tune that might have been better buried somewhere on side 2.

Father's Favorite Temperature

With just a slight change in the beat, "Father's Favorite Temperature" could be an alt-country stomper. As it is, it's a plodding rocker that finds Robert Pollard dueting with himself nicely on a song where the verses carry more of the melodic hook than the chorus. Chris Slusarenko, who created the songs over which Pollard sings his lyrics in this collaboration, adds some nice touches, including a keyboard line that sounds like a warbling saxophone (or a saxophone that sounds like a synthesizer with a few keys missing) and nice slide solo that offers hints of George Harrison. The result is a track with a lot to like in a small space.