Watery Domestic Archives

Album: Watery, Domestic EP
Year: 1992

“Slow it down, song is sacred!”

The final song on the Watery, Domestic EP was definitely a precursor to the more classic rock structures and sounds that were going to be all over the rest of their records, as well as formally introduce a previously-hitherto unheard element in their sound: R.E.M.

And so “Shoot The Singer (1 Sick Verse)” kicks off with Gary Young playing the straightest of straightforward beats, with Mark Ibold’s bass is high enough in the mix to actually be heard while Stephen Maklmus and Scott Kanneberg volleyed Buckian arpeggios at each other.

Album: Watery, Domestic EP
Year: 1992

“So much style and it’s wasted”

Probably intended on a stopgap in order to bring the new guys — bassist Mark Ibold & percussionist/hype man Bob Nastanovich — into the studio to do a few songs before recording the full-length follow-up to Slanted and Enchanted, the Watery, Domestic EP turned out to the last work original drummer Gary Young played on.

None of which, I of course knew, back when I picked it up on early 1993 — Pavement were pretty much still shrouded in mystery at that point, despite Slanted and Enchanted making it to #2 in the Village Voice’s annual Pazz & Jop critics poll.

Watery Domestic

Certain Songs #1484: Pavement – “Shoot The Singer (1 Sick Verse)”

Certain Songs #1483: Pavement – “Frontwards”