Personnel: Stephen Malkmus (vocals, guitar, synthesizer); Mike Clark (guitar, keyboards); Joanna Bolme (bass, background vocals); John Moen (drums, background vocals).

Principally recorded at Bear Creek Studios, Woodinville, Washington between May & August 2002.

For his second solo outing after leaving Pavement, Stephen Malkmus expands his musical horizons a bit from his 2001 solo debut, which basically sounded like an extension of his former band's sound. It's only naturally that Malkmus' work should bear some similarities with the output of his erstwhile group, since he played a major role in fashioning their style, and the non-sequitir lyricism and skewed, angular alt-rock that marked the Pavement style are still strongly in evidence. However, there are other elements at work on PIG LIB.

Mostly, it sounds like noted music geek Malkmus has been listening to esoteric '70s UK outfits like progressive blues-rockers the Groundhogs and folk-rock cult heroes Steeleye Span (or perhaps Fairport Convention). The knotty, stately guitar lines that twist their way around many of the songs and intertwine with the vocal melodies are redolent of the beard-rock world inhabited by folks like the aforementioned groups. The sound makes a nice fit for the former lo-fi king, providing a refreshing change of pace that's subtle enough not to seem drastic or crass, but substantial enough to suggest that Malkmus's musical growth was not stunted by the death of Pavement.