By now I’m sure you have read a couple reviews on the new Malkmus and the Jicks release, Real Emotional Trash. Normally I wouldn’t add to the deluge, but you know what’s been getting my goat lately? Well in addition to these new boxers that ride up on my leg, my wife thinking that we need Super Nanny to pay a visit to our house and Arsenal pissing away their season, it’s that some people have been giving Mr. Malkmus some flack for having an album that is too “jammy.” Excuse me?

Let’s give the ex-Pavement genius a break. One of our generations finest drummers, Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney, has just joined The Jicks and that’s like being handed the keys to a Ferrari. Having her in the band and not letting her stretch her legs on a couple of jams is like taking your new Ferrari on a run to the grocery store in a school zone.

So I figured I would attack the longest song on Real Emotional Trash, the title track. It starts nice and easy, as the band Malkmus runs through a couple of verses. Then around the 4:30 mark, we start getting a little noodling and some knob-turning. It slowly builds and your anticipation starts getting the best of you until around 6:20. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks suddenly morph into Kingfish and embark in a completely different direction with “Real Emotional Trash” that thoroughly pleased this Deadhead.

It’s a completely stellar track with many little nuances, twists and turns in the road. It’s also part of one of the best releases of 2008.