Saying that The Silver Jews is a Stephen Malkmus side-project is blasphemy. It’s like saying that Portastatic is a Superchunk side-project. It’s just not the case. David Berman of Jews fame is an absolute legend without the Malkmus connection. I remember the first Silver Jews song that got me hooked. It was “Horseleg Swastikas” on Bright Flight put out by Drag City. I must have listened to that record a dozen times in the first couple of days after getting it. Bright Flight quickly took me back in time to American Water and The Natural Bridge which can both stand on their own as classic geek rock masterpieces. I knew that following up “Bright Light” with anything as remarkable would be difficult. There’s nothing worse than anticipating the release of a record and then finding out that it’s a slight let down. I would almost rather it be a complete let down if it doesn’t remain consistent throughout. “Tanglewood Numbers” starts off strong and then tapers off at the pace of a good record, but not remarkable. The opening piece, “Punks In The Beerlight” contains one of the best moments on the record. “Hadn’t you heard the news? Adam and Eve were Jews.”
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