| Brighten the Corners | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 11, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | July 15–30, 1996 | |||
| Studio | Drive-In (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) [1] | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Length | 46:10 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Producer |
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| Pavement chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Brighten the Corners | ||||
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Brighten the Corners is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on February 11, 1997, by Matador Records. The album received very positive reviews from critics.
Brighten the Corners was recorded at Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studio in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. According to singer and guitarist Stephen Malkmus, it was either Matador Records or Mary Timony from Helium who suggested that the band should record the album there. [2]
Although Brighten the Corners was mostly produced by Pavement and Bryce Goggin, Easter worked with the band for roughly a week when Goggin left the studio. [3]
The recording sessions involved extensive editing, and the band would often record several versions of the same song before deciding on a final take. The vocals were then recorded in New York separately. [3]
The album title was in reference to "Brighten The Corner Where You Are", a gospel hymn written by Homer Rodeheaver in the early 1900s. [4]
Brighten the Corners was released on February 11, 1997, by Matador Records. [5] In 2008, Matador released Brighten the Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition , a compilation containing Brighten the Corners in its entirety, as well as B-sides and other rarities from the same era.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [7] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide | A [8] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B [9] |
| Los Angeles Times | [10] |
| NME | 6/10 [11] |
| Pitchfork | 8.6/10 [12] |
| Rolling Stone | [13] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [14] |
| Spin | 8/10 [15] |
Brighten the Corners received very positive reviews from critics and was ranked No. 10 in The Village Voice 's 1997 Pazz & Jop critics' poll. [16] In the poll's accompanying essay, Robert Christgau referred to the album as one of his "favorite albums of the year, easy", alongside those by Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney, and Arto Lindsay. [17]
All tracks are written by Stephen Malkmus, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stereo" | 3:07 | |
| 2. | "Shady Lane / J vs. S" | 3:50 | |
| 3. | "Transport Is Arranged" | 3:52 | |
| 4. | "Date w/ IKEA" | Scott Kannberg | 2:39 |
| 5. | "Old to Begin" | 3:22 | |
| 6. | "Type Slowly" | 5:20 | |
| 7. | "Embassy Row" | 3:51 | |
| 8. | "Blue Hawaiian" | 3:33 | |
| 9. | "We Are Underused" | 4:12 | |
| 10. | "Passat Dream" | Kannberg | 3:51 |
| 11. | "Starlings of the Slipstream" | 3:08 | |
| 12. | "Fin" (Listed as "Infinite Spark" on non-US pressings) | 5:24 | |
| Total length: | 46:10 | ||
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [18] | 64 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [19] | 50 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [20] | 38 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [21] | 56 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [22] | 27 |
| US Billboard 200 [23] | 70 |
| Title | Year | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| UK [24] | ||
| "Stereo" | 1997 | 48 |
| "Shady Lane" | 40 |
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