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For a guy who's generally presented himself as a master of detachment, Stephen Malkmus has been surprisingly willing to give listeners a peek behind his emotional curtain since extricating himself from the environs of Pavement. His self-titled solo bow stabbed tentatively at openness, but on this follow-up, he strips away even more -- particularly in the melodic realm, where he casts his line into the sort of unrippled waters favored by such unlikely precursors as folk-rockers Fairport Convention and It's a Beautiful Day. No, Malkmus hasn't turned completely hippie -- although "Witch Mountain Bridge" and "Do Not Feed the Oyster" certainly radiate a fair amount of Day-Glo -- but he's developed much more of a fondness for the more bucolic side of life. That's abundantly evident in the wistful lament "Vanessa from Queens," the latest in the singer's litany of thinly veiled sonic biographies, and "Craw Song," which would fit in nicely on a Kinks/Village Green outtakes collection. A limited edition five-song live disc accompanies the initial pressing. David Sprague, Barnes & Noble