Pavement - Watery, Domestic

Pavement released this stopgap EP in 1992 following their debut album, Slanted and Enchanted.  Of course they have to start Texas Never Whispers with 20 seconds of jarring synth noise before the grinding guitars kick in.  Stephen Malkmus sounds impossibly cool as he drawls the lyrics "she's so lackadaisical, should have been a West coast bride".

The trident, confident guitar licks on Frontwards follow this up, it's a confident, gritty rocker in the mould of Summer Babe.  After the brief, scratchy Lions (Linden) the EP finishes with the melodic Shoot The Singer which plays out like a less scratchy Perfume-V, with a nice guitarry coda that you won't want to finish.  A good EP but mainly a warm-up for Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain.