One Track Mind

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Scott Kannberg, aka Spiral Stairs, already possesses a musical curriculum vitae most would kill for. As a co-founder of Pavement, Kannberg is responsible for help shaping one of the most influential bands of the 1990s. Afterwards, he put out two records under the Preston School of Industry moniker which, while never attaining the level of genius of those Pavement records, were both excellent collections of indie rock. On October 20th, Kannberg will release his first album under his long-adopted alias of Spiral Stairs. The Real Deal appear courtesy of Matador Records, the lifetime home of both Pavement and PSOI.

Our first taste of The Real Deal is “Maltese Terrier,” a boot-stomping bit of rock ‘n roll that captures Kannberg adopting a vocal presence along the lines of The Fall’s Mark E. Smith. As with PSOI, the music here is surprisingly straightforward–if you’re looking for the musical lunacy Pavement was capable of, you’re going to be disappointed–but is muscular and well-crafted.

Kannberg recorded the new record with the assistance of a large ensemble cast (including members of PSOI, the Posies, and Kevin Drew, of Broken Social Scene Fame) and “Maltese Terrier” bears the mark of this collaboration; it doesn’t feel like the result of the typical solo record studio hermit routine, but rather possesses the sort of vitality you can usually only generate by bringing different personalities into the mix. (Take, for instance, the more ornamental bridge invoked a couple of times throughout, with its gilding of piano and banjo.)

If you’ve been a fan of Spiral Stairs’ work with PSOI or Matador’s brand of smart indie-rock, there’s a lot to love on “Maltese Terrier.”