Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks have released the song, “Refute,” featuring Kim Gordon, off the group’s new album, Sparkle Hard, released May 18 on Matador. According to Spin, “Refute” is the third single off the album, following tracks “Middle America” and “Shiggy.”
“Refute” is a duet which finds former Sonic Youth icon Kim Gordon flawlessly complementing Malkmus, recalling exquisite country legends Gram Parsons (Burrito Brothers) and Emmylou Harris. The track showcases Gordon gently lobbing the vocal ball to Malkmus, evoking a soft country melancholy.
Malkmus and The Jicks, consisting of Stephen Malkmus, Mike Clark, Joanna Bolme and Jake Morris, formed in 2000 following Pavement’s perpetual hiatus in 1999. Prior to Sparkle, the group has released six albums including Stephen Malkmus (2001), Pig Lib (2003), Face the Truth (2005), Real Emotional Trash (2008), Mirror Traffic (2011) and Wig Out at Jagbags (2014).
In an interview with Stereogum, Malkmus discusses his motivation for consistently making music, “I don’t know where that urge comes from: ego, fear, also the not achieving, that’s ego related, there’s that. What else? Group interaction is fun. Sharing with my friends, and fans, too, but amongst the group, amongst my cohorts. We all wanna stay busy.”
The new album, Sparkle Hard, has been critically received. Pitchfork recently reviewed the album saying, “the most surprising thing about his fetching seventh album, Sparkle Hard, is how of-the-moment it feels. It engages with the present in way none of his Jicks albums have, time-stamping its songs with lyrics about Facebook and nods to the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements.”
Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks begin their 2018 North American tour beginning June 1 at the Turf Club in St. Paul, MN. Check out the track “Refute” here:
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