Thirty years since they formed, the Pixies
release their sixth album proper, the second since reforming in 2004 and the
first since then recorded as an album (2014’s ‘Indie Cindy’ was a collection of
EP’s). Despite the stop and slow start nature of their career trajectory there
is still a flow to their recordings, not least visibly as British designer Vaughan
Oliver heads the design of their releases still. And there is a flow in the
music too.
Still nurturing the bass heavy beats and highly
influential style of indie rock that they did all those years ago, ‘Head
Carrier’ opens with its title track which could have been lifted from almost
any point of their recording life. Lyrically not as dense as earlier songs this
still manages to carry off being a song about a guy who is beheaded by a three
headed monster but who then carries his head six miles down to the river before
dying. ‘Classic Masher’ attempts to be just that, it’s a foot stomper with a
much simpler lyric and though original bassist Kim Deal has departed,
replacement Paz Lenchantin reproduces her style and backing vocal ability
easily (the Pixies only do female bassists with ebullient childlike backing
vocals). ‘Baal’s Back’ is much more screamy Pixies, and to me is all the better
for it. The Pixies have always stood out more when at their most challenging
and noisy, but this soon gives way to the more ordered ‘Might As Well Be Gone’,
promising a classic Pixies quiet loud quiet ploy however it stays quiet (well
melodic anyway) even as the chorus kicks in. ‘Oona’ channels its inner ‘Monkey
Gone to Heaven’ vibe carrying it off very nicely and underlines the intent of
the band to try and outperform their own best, 1989’s ‘Doolittle’. They don’t carry
it off it has to be said, but this collection sits there at least with the two
albums that followed ‘Doolittle’ as the original incarnation never really
managed to surpass that albums promise. ‘Talent’ is again more formula Pixies,
it’s OK but it’s not standout.
The albums second half (side two?) kicks off
with ‘Tenement Song’ and is the most mildly paced bit of music here so far.
Like many of the songs so far it’s a piece of music about music, again, it’s
not bad, but it doesn’t smell of classic either. And so it is with ‘Bel Esprit’.
‘All I Think About Now’ is the song that most steals from the band past here, which
says something as its sung by the bands newest member and is basically a thank
you letter to founding member Kim Deal. It’s a lovely tribute, and an album
highlight. As is ‘Um Chagga Lagga’ the albums lead single. When I first heard
this back in July I was little (shrug of the shoulders’ ‘OK…?’, but this track
has grown on me, it’s a bit more mindless, heads down boogie, and benefits from
not being overthought. The album reels to a rapid close with ‘Plaster of Paris’
and ‘All The Saints’. One a sprightly pop song and the other an interesting
half song. And after 34 minutes the album is over. It doesn’t outstay it’s
welcome, and in that sense it is a proper album in the classic sense of the art
form.
On first listen, I was a little underwhelmed by
‘Head Carrier’, there seemed to be not enough memorable about it, and the band
seemed too self-referential. A couple of listens later and without
concentrating on it fully there seemed to be an approachable easy feel to
things, the hooks were coming through. Sitting down and listening to it
properly again I’m certainly more appreciative than I was on first listen.
Though for me, ‘Indie Cindy’, the album that wasn’t an album was more the sound
of a band pushing themselves to be relevant far more than ‘Head Carrier’ is, it’s
still good, but not career defining and not the masterpiece that many long-time
Pixies fans would’ve hoped for, not even really paving the way for a
masterpiece next time out. But that is the joy and unpredictability of music,
who’s to say that Pixies album number seven won’t be chock full of great tunes
and crazy words? Here’s hoping.
7/10
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