Everyone knows what Pixies frontman Black Francis would sound like if he were being murdered. It could be argued that his apocalyptic howl almost solely defined the early Pixies sound. So much so that after 10 seconds of its absence upon listening to opening track Andro Queen, I’m scratching my head and wondering what the hump I’m listening to. There are no references of incest or mutilated eyeballs. This isn’t how Pixies releases are supposed to start. Gone are the autistic freak-outs like Bone Machine and Debaser only to be replaced by some achingly gorgeous melodies and downright romantic lyrics to boot; “Loving in our bed of flowers, Breathing in the smell of her musk.” Ok, this is the weird Pixies we fell in love with, but they are weird in a different way now and I don’t know which is more terrifying.
Things shift gear to a heavier sound on second track Another Toe. A rockier song in the vein of criminally forgotten 90’s band Guided by Voices that obscurely references black sand and Edward Thatch; presumably the one who was better known as Blackbeard the Pirate. Huh? Yeah what? This is Pixies babe! Who the hell knows what Francis is singing about? That’s comforting. The main thing is, it’s really great music and Francis is so convincing, I would seriously consider putting ‘my toe in the ocean’ if the closest beach weren’t St Kilda. Gross.
Drummer Dave Lovering is still as brilliantly solid as ever and sadly our favourite Breeder has left the band so the almost comically simplistic bass lines of Kim Deal are sorely missed here. Then there is Joey Santiago; a man who strangles the neck of his guitar as if he is performing a risqué act of sexual asphyxiation. You’ll know it when you hear it, which brings me to closing track What Goes Boom. We’re in “Trompe Le Monde” territory and excitement ensues. We are moving down well trodden roads here and not in a bad way. If EP-1 is any indication of the future then bring on EP-2. The future is looking bright for Pixies.
BY JAMES BARLOW
Best Track: What Goes Boom
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: GUIDED BY VOICES, Trompe Le Monde PIXIES
In A Word: Gigantic
