Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks + Dehd

At this point, Malkmus has been recording with the Jicks for longer than he spent as part of Pavement, so it's not exactly a surprise that he has no interest in reuniting with his old band to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2019. Instead, he's focusing on his recent album, Sparkle Hard, which presents another unpredictable set of songs that include laid-back rockers, a few extended jams and a synth-driven track with Auto-Tuned vocals. As usual, the lyrics are permeated with Malkmus's cheeky, hyper-literate sense of humor, exuding the confidence of a guy who can nonchalantly shrug at the prospect of another Pavement reunion paycheck.