jueves, octubre 31, 2024

Albums: The Night The Zombies Came

Released on 25 October, "The Night The Zombies Came" is the ninth studio album by alternative/grunge pioneers and enduring alternative culture icons "Pixies", is also their first effort containing new bassist and vocalist Emma Richardson, after a long-standing 11-year stint of bassist Paz Lenchantin, who departed from the group earlier this year. 

The album contains 13 songs and incorporates a fresh theme of horror, never before seen before in the band discography, but despite this new motif, the haunting melodies and unsettling concepts weave flawlessly with the band’s prior work, and the feeling of existential dread, especially tied with the band’s unique and era-defining instrumentation left no doubt that this was a Pixies album.

The album needs several listenings to finally get hooked, and please avoid every comparison with the other classical albums the band departed between 80's and 90's, this album hhas a cohesive themes of strangeness, the dynamics omnipresent in all that they do and the unstable, captivating melodies that could only belong to Pixies.

The brilliant tracks starts with "You're So Impatient" that reminds a still how brilliant and enduring the Pixies are a horror-themed punk tune showcases everything the band do best, the volume dynamics of the track and the punk-pace blaring; from Joey Santiago’s chaotic, distorted guitar and Black Francis’ unmistakable voice and lyrics. "Jane (The Night the Zombies Came)" it feels that the Pixies created this project’s themes around this song, the instrumentation is just as perfect as always and know how to create this new sound that’s fresh and pleasing yet still uniquely Pixies, on top are layered vocals of Black Francis and Emma just creating this satisfying layer for the listener that the track couldn’t have without. For me as well the song is just so damn catchy with the chorus and melody being stuck in my head for ages now, I’m not complaining though.

Other fantastic tracks are "Chicken" one of the singles off the record, stands fine alongside the other single "Motoroller", the last tracks are fantastics from "Earnest Evans", passing thru "Kings Of The Prairie" and the closer "The Vegas Suite", even the slower one "Mercy Me" deserves a nice shot, the energetics "You're So Impatient" and "Oyster Beds". 

Perhaps a big part of the album are a reminder of "Bossanova" and "Doolittle", the classic elements are here, the surf-guitar of Joey Santiago, the restrained vocals from Black Francis, and the collaboration of their brand new bassist, it's not a band album actually sounds quite good, depens upon your thoughts, my best advice is to enjoy it with thinking you're hearing an echo album of brilliant former glories of the band.  

The Night The Zombies Came Track List: 

2 You're So Impatient
3 Jane (The Night the Zombies Came)
4 Chicken
5 Hypnotised
6 Johnny Good Man
7 Motoroller
8 I Hear You Mary
9 Oyster Beds
10 Mercy Me
11 Ernest Evans
12 Kings of the Prairie
13 The Vegas Suite

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