Pixies Indie Cindy as reviewed by The Phantom Tollbooth While Indie Cindy is not a perfect record, it's a very good one, and it's great to have the Pixies back in action.

Indie Cindy

Artist: Pixies

Label: Self-released

12 Tracks

I have to make a confession: the Pixies are my absolute favorite band. I love everything they've released. I love how every one of their songs manages to have its own unique identity and yet still stick to the band's overall "sound." That being said, when I heard the Pixies had released their first album in 23 years, I cheered. Then I wondered if I could be an objective critic while reviewing the record or would I turn into a foaming-at-the-mouth fanboy? Fortunately, after a couple of listens, I think I can be pretty objective with this record.

It kicks off with "What Goes Boom," opening with a buzzsaw guitar riff and pounding drums before settling into a very familiar, vintage Pixies groove. Hearing the song for the first time is like slipping into a pair of old, comfortable shoes that you haven't worn in a while. Unfortunately, the second track, "Greens and Blues," spoils the moment since it sounds more like an outtake from Black Francis' Frank Black solo career. It's not a bad song, it just feels out of place on this record. The same could be said for "Snakes." The title track begins with a Frank Black vibe, but then drops you into a spoken word verse that is pure Pixies.

The album only has one real dud on it, and that's "Another Toe in the Ocean." The music is very generic, and the lyrics are some sort of cryptic, self-help mumbo jumbo. I never thought I could hate a Pixies song, but I absolutely cannot stand this one.

The rest of the record either mines the familiar territory the Pixies have covered in the past, or stretches the band in new directions, such as the weird, electronica-tinged "Bagboy." The only thing truly missing on this record is Kim Deal's sweet background vocals that often helped to take the caustic edge off Black Francis's delivery. While Indie Cindy is not a perfect record, it's a very good one, and it's great to have the Pixies back in action.

4tocks

Eric Landfried

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