If you were a fan of the old Pixies, you might hate their new album
Ayumi Hulmes
Artist: Pixies
Album: Head Carrier
Release date: 30th September 2016
For a band that were once rock legends, the Pixies’ new album is pretty average. Indie Cindy, their first album since their reunion, was disappointing to say the least, and following that, nobody really expected much of Head Carrier. Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely an improvement on Indie Cindy, but I feel like they’ve got a long way to go if they want to reach the heights they were once at.
Before the release, there was lots of speculation as to how Paz Lenchantin (current Pixies bassist) would stack up against Kim Deal (ex-Pixies bassist) but she seems to fill Kim’s shoes effortlessly. In fact, Kim isn’t missed nearly as much as Black Francis’ iconic vocals and sheer energy. It’s not all bad though, and there is hope in the short, yet punchy, Baal’s Back reminding us of pre-break up Pixies. Tenement Song and Oona also serve to give the album a little kick, reminiscent of the glory days of Doolittle and Surfer Rosa. All I Think About Now is also worth a mention: written as a thank you to Kim Deal, fittingly sung by her successor, and sounding an awful lot like Where Is My Mind (not that that’s a bad thing).
Overall, the album is too nice and polished for a band like the Pixies, and too many songs sound the same. It feels overproduced and lacks the raw sounds of classics like Monkey Gone to Heaven and Debaser. This isn’t a bad album, by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s nothing as good as their old stuff and I think it’s fair to say, we’ve come to expect more from such iconic characters in rock history.
Album: Head Carrier
Release date: 30th September 2016
For a band that were once rock legends, the Pixies’ new album is pretty average. Indie Cindy, their first album since their reunion, was disappointing to say the least, and following that, nobody really expected much of Head Carrier. Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely an improvement on Indie Cindy, but I feel like they’ve got a long way to go if they want to reach the heights they were once at.
Before the release, there was lots of speculation as to how Paz Lenchantin (current Pixies bassist) would stack up against Kim Deal (ex-Pixies bassist) but she seems to fill Kim’s shoes effortlessly. In fact, Kim isn’t missed nearly as much as Black Francis’ iconic vocals and sheer energy. It’s not all bad though, and there is hope in the short, yet punchy, Baal’s Back reminding us of pre-break up Pixies. Tenement Song and Oona also serve to give the album a little kick, reminiscent of the glory days of Doolittle and Surfer Rosa. All I Think About Now is also worth a mention: written as a thank you to Kim Deal, fittingly sung by her successor, and sounding an awful lot like Where Is My Mind (not that that’s a bad thing).
Overall, the album is too nice and polished for a band like the Pixies, and too many songs sound the same. It feels overproduced and lacks the raw sounds of classics like Monkey Gone to Heaven and Debaser. This isn’t a bad album, by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s nothing as good as their old stuff and I think it’s fair to say, we’ve come to expect more from such iconic characters in rock history.