A Specialized Thing I Would Like To Know About

Pavement “Cataracts”

There is a part of me that is incredibly frustrated by the fact that this song is an incomplete sketch, and will likely remain so for all time. I find it hard to understand why anyone, even someone so overflowing with high quality music as Stephen Malkmus, could throw this away without even finishing it, or at least trying one more take without calling out instructions to his drummer. Still, knowing Malkmus’ tendencies as well as I do, I get the feeling that if he had completed the song, he probably would’ve altered the lyrics so that its moments of totally straightforward flirtatiousness would become more silly or opaque. This would not have been such a great thing, particularly as this song does so much to capture the rawest essence of Malkmus in flirt mode — sweet yet chill, funny but direct, clever without trying very hard.

The fact that he’s barely got his words together makes the mumbled bits come off like unimportant asides, underlining the importance of his clear, declarative statements. It’s like he’s nervously darting his eyes around the room, but making perfect, confident eye contact when he says exactly what he means. I’m fond of the fact that he’s singing bold, direct lines like “I know why you love me, dear,” and “take a chance on how you feel now,” but it’s even better when he spits out a perfectly formed Malkmusian come-on like “you’re nothing but a specialized thing I would like to know about.” Even when shambling about, the guy has this impossible grace. Some guys go for smoothness and swagger, but he barely ever seems like he’s trying too hard to impress — he just does. He’s got style for miles and miles, so much style that songs like this get wasted.

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