Album Reviews

We’re not in the nineties anymore Toto… that is something that becomes very clear very quickly once you start listening to “Indie Cindy”, the Pixies’ first new album in 23 years. Frank Black, David Lovering and Joey Santiago might still be the Pixies (minus Kim Deal of course) and Gil Norton might have once again produced the new material but this is not an album worthy of being called the follow-up to “Trompe Le Monde”.

The songs on here mostly sound like old ideas being rehashed without the piss and vinegar of back in the day. It’s like listening to a band that wants to relive its glory days but forgot that middle age has since set in. Songs like “Bagboy”, “Blue Eye Hexe” and “Snakes” are absolutely unworthy of being called Pixies songs and even at their best moments on “Indie Cindy” (the title track, “Silver Snail”), they don’t live up to their legendary status.

Of course, the band’s legendary status is the problem. If a new band would come up with songs like “Magdalena 318”, I’d probably be a lot more positive. But with the Pixies you’re always going to compare new material to songs that made up the soundtrack to life as a teenager and well, shit’s just not going to measure up. Let’s make a deal… forget about this one, cover it up and listen to “Doolittle” and “Surfer Rosa” again instead!