Wowee Zowee (CD)
With its vast array of musical styles, Wowee Zowee isn't as accessible as Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain or as immediate as the bracing, noisy pop of Slanted & Enchanted. Pavement never abandon their warped pop aesthetic, they simply expand it, incorporating elements of folk-rock, English music-hall, soul, jazz, country, as well as adding asides to such contemporaries as Suede ("We Dance"), Ween ("Brinx Job") and Stereolab ("Half a Canyon"). Alternating between majestic epics like "Grounded" and ragged narratives like "Rattled by the Rush" and "Father to a Sister of Thought," to song fragments like "Brinx Job" and the punkish "Serpentine Pad," the record might seem disjointed at first. After repeated listens, the songs play off each other, creating a dense collage of '90s rock & roll that recasts the past and present into one rich, kaleidoscopic and blissfully cryptic world view. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
| Ben
- Portland, OR, USA |
| By far the most genre-defying, stylistically distinguished of all Pavement albums, Wowee Zowee was not very well received by critics when first released. But time has fared well for their fourth of six albums, becoming the favorite of many hardcore Pavement fans, as well as Pavement's band members. Initially, it doesn't seem as fluid as their other releases, but after multiple listens, its song variety becomes much more appealing. Whether it be slow, melodic mood songs, attempts at grunge, or even Pavement's spin on country music, this album's variety will keep you interested for many listens to come. I highly recommend it. | |
| Jeff Hayward
- Brantford, , Canada |
| Before Wowee Zowee came out I thought there would be no way Pavement could top Crooked Rain. I was so wrong. The list of unforgetable songs on this CD is near endless: AT&T, Western Homes, Grave Architecture, Serpentine Pad, Father To A Sister Of Thought, Rattled By The Rush, Brinx Job... Man, who needs a best-of Pavement CD when you have Wowee Zowee. No lie. | |