STRANGE how guitar solos fell out of favour. In the Seventies you couldn’t move for marathon fretboard workouts from the likes of Steve Howe.
Then along came punk and, overnight, virtuosity became extinct. Prog may have resurfaced in recent years, albeit gingerly, but rarely are guitarists afforded a chance to let rip like they did back in the day. Which is why The Jicks are so refreshing.
Led by former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus, they wind the clock back far enough to rekindle heydays, but not so far as to revisit the absurd self-indulgence of it all. Which means Wigout at Jackbags is as laidback and sunny as a Saturday afternoon on Santa Monica Beach.
It’s more poppy than a Norfolk cornfield and supplies enough mellifluous guitar to keep a Grateful Dead fan satiated.
Once again Malkmus has proved flawless, although – and here’s something you might not be aware of – he is a fervent fan of Hull City. Nice to know even he has a fault.
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