It caused more than a ripple of excitement in the indie community when it was announced last year that former Pavement singer Stephen Malkmus would be heading into the studio with a certain Beck Hansen.

Now the fruits of their labour have arrived in the form of Malkmus's fifth post-Pavement album, produced by Beck and billed as a return to a more accessible style. Well, it's accessible at least as far as Malkmus is concerned – it's safe to say the buzzing riffs of Senator, with its line "I know what the senator wants/ What the senator wants is a blowjob", won't be troubling many breakfast playlists.

Elsewhere Malkmus's trademark off-kilter melodies are allowed to shine throughout this set of short, sharp pop songs – we especially like No One Is (As I Are Be), a track built around finger-picked guitar arpeggios that takes its cue from the Velvet Underground's Some Kinda Love, as well as some of Beck's more stripped-back solo material.

It seems Malkmus has been rejuvenated by last year's Pavement reunion. Have a listen and let us know if you agree in the comments section below ...

• Mirror Traffic will be released via Domino on 22 August.