Any best-of album tends to raise a sticky duality: is the album really the “best of” the band, or merely a collection of their greatest hits? Oftentimes, songs that are especially beloved to hardcore fans of a given artist are overlooked on more commercially geared compilation albums.

But considering a band like Pavement, who, in their decade-long career in the ’90s, established themselves as a massively influential indie-rock band yet rarely received any mainstream exposure, the concept of a best-of compilation must be geared toward the fans that helped build its name.

Thankfully, Quarantine the Past: The Best of Pavement (Matador),taken from a lyric in first track “Gold Soundz,” spans all the key moments of Pavement’s career. The song choices showing the full scope of frontman/songwriter Stephen Malkmus’ distinctive persona: his trademark lo-fi guitar, penchant for melodies both catchy and angular, witty lyrics, and unmistakable vocal delivery oscillating between sardonic monotone and nerve-fraying yelping.

 The collection smartly pulls from each album in Pavement’s catalog, albeit it’s no surprise that the group’s two most lauded works — 1992 debut Slanted & Enchanted (Matador) and 1994 follow-up Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (Matador)— are the most heavily focused upon. These endearingly lo-fi indie milestones contain some of Pavement’s catchiest, most recognizable songs, including “Cut Your Hair,” “Summer Babe (Winter Version)” and “In the Mouth a Desert,” as well as the widest stylistic range, evidenced in the howling brawl of “Unfair,” the blink-and-you-miss-it urgency of “Two States” and the mellow ambles of “Here” and “Range Life.”

The 1995 seminal fan-favorite Wowee Zowee (Matador), lauded for its unapologetic weirdness and brave experimentation, is only cursorily represented, the only cuts appearing from it being “Grounded” and “Fight This Generation.”

Pavement’s later years are shown in a handful of selections from fourth album, 1997’s Brighten the Corners (Matador); the most textural cut from this album is the atmospheric, epic “Shady Lane / J Vs. S.” Of course, the droll “Stereo” is also included, along with its snarky reference to high-pitched Rush singer Geddy Lee.

However, the group’s final album Terror Twilight (Matador) is wholly ignored, save the popular “Spit on a Stranger”; the album would have benefited from either “Billie” or “Platform Blues,” both songs well-regarded cuts featuring Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood on harmonica duties.

Even though not all of Pavement’s body of work is given equal attention, Quarantine the Past does offer some rarities, cementing it as an album that still holds some appeal for the hardcore fans. Included are “Frontwards” and “Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse),” deep cuts from late 1992’s oft-forgotten EP Watery, Domestic. Pavement’s pre-debut album days are also visited in rare tracks, some of which date back to the late ’80s, such as “Debris Slide.”

Finally, in lieu of the band’s reunion and upcoming headlining spot at Coachella, one rare song, “Unseen Power of the Picket Fence,” is included as the penultimate number.

Overall, Quarantine the Past is an extremely well rounded collection of Pavement songs that spans the entirety of their career. It contains enough celebrated material to serve as an excellent primer for those just discovering the indie rockers and enough rare cuts to satisfy longtime fans.

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Album Review, National Editorial