If you ever needed to be convinced that Stephen Malkmus has a command of the line between sung and spoken words, that's the one to listen to. I've always thought that his diction puts him in the Morrissey and Frank Sinatra category. "No More Kings" also has the great hesitations and in-between sounds that made early Pavement so awesome, not to mention a larger-scaled caesura in the middle and an elegantly touching guitar part right after it. Somehow, the song comes off as sincere and an ironic commentary on the need to move beyond thinking about the "kings" of rock music. Interestingly, the first customer review of the album on Amazon praises every track except "No More Kings, " which it labels "dirge-like." To each his own. I will say that there are many fine tracks on the record, with the Blind Melon one coming in second to "No More Kings" in my estimation.

Mode: smooth
Muse: the insects, frogs, and birds enjoying this rare cool night in June