American band, Pixies, released their 10th studio album on Friday, Oct. 25. The album, “The Night the Zombies Came” consists of 13 songs, playing for about 39 minutes in length. Famously known for setting the scene for alternative punk bands in the early 1990s, Pixies has a lot to live up to, needing to prove the indie rock group is capable of topping their former work.
Pixies first came together in Boston, Mass., despite their classic “California” sound. The band’s style falls somewhere on a strange line between surf music and eerie punk. Dating back to Pixies’ creation in the late ‘80s, they have embodied a sort of distinct sound, despite not fitting one genre. It had always been a goal of the band not to be easily defined. This leaves listeners to ask the question: Is not fitting a box necessarily a good thing? Breaking boundaries is important, but creating an incohesive album may not be the means of achieving this.
With their album, “Doolittle” turning 35-years-old this year, inspiration to create something new, continuing to be influential and breaking norms had inspired “The Night the Zombies Came.” However, this work does not compare to past productions. The album is not terrible, and not even bad, but just falls short of being considered good.
Many of the songs on the album are forgettable. However, longtime fans of the band may be less harsh as the signature sound is still present. “The Night the Zombies Came” is Pixies’ first album with new bassist, Emma Richardson, though there do not seem to be many observable changes on the instrumental scale. Vocals, however, are a different story. Black Francis is accompanied by Paz Lenchantin on backup vocals in several of the tracks, similar to past albums. He sounds tired on many of the tracks — and not in an indie sleaze aesthetic choice kind of way. The songs Lenchantin is featured on are typically the better ones on the album.
Opening with “Primrose,” the album begins on a more mellow note. Introducing a more serious tone, the song sets up the rest of the album well. As the album progresses, themes of yearning, self-improvement and religion (from multiple areas of belief) are explored frequently.
Sudden changes are common on the album, as they are throughout all the work from Pixies. At times, these changes feel very out of place. That being said, the transition to “You’re So Impatient” is sudden, but successful. “Primrose” picks up slightly at its end, making the jump to the more upbeat, punk-inspired proceeding track feel more purposeful. “You’re So Impatient” is a feel-good song with nice guitar.
“Jane (The Night the Zombies Came)” is the closest to the title track that the album has. Unfortunately, it is one of the worst songs on the album. It has the same energy as a childhood rhyme that never ends, except this nursery rhyme is about drugs and is sung in a raspy, low voice.
Moving on from “Jane,” “Chicken” fortunately brings some redemption to the album. “Chicken” changes things up once again, this time adding blues into the mix. The song features sensual riffs accompanied by lyrics of begging and pleading for a missed lover. The hopeless energy of the song is counteracted by somewhat humorous references to a ridiculous bird. “Chicken” perfectly encompasses what Pixies do best: making the strange enjoyable and meaningful. However, many of the other songs on this album include weird aspects but managed to leave out the flare that makes the strangeness work.
Coming back to a more indie, sort of twee sound, “Hypnotized” invites nostalgia from the 2010s. With tempo changes throughout, the song is interesting, another strong element of the album.
“Johnny Good Man” is a decent song about rebirth, followed by the similar-in-style yet worse “Motoroller.” Both songs are forgettable and do not stand out in any way.
Nursery rhymes, previously mentioned for their sound, now come up in a different sense. “I Hear You Mary” is a dark take on the classic song, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and draws on Christianity. The song discusses flesh, bones and death: everything you would never expect from a nursery rhyme. Shortly after, “Oyster Beds” shifts the album back to a traditional punk sound, playing off the darkness from its predecessor.
Taking an unexpected turn, “Mercy Me” adds psychedelic rock and some synth to the album.
The song is relaxing but boring. The subsequent song is “Earnest Evans,” a much harder, more awful track. The songs really do not make sense next to each other. While some sudden changes may have been effective, this definitely was not. The song is plainly annoying and makes you want to skip it almost immediately.
Thankfully, “Kings of the Prairie” helps to end the album on a better note. The song is folk-inspired with alternative aspects. It is delicate and light, once again playing on a more traditional indie sound inspired by the 2010s.
Closing the album is “The Vegas Suite.” It is definitely one of the best songs on the album; the instrumentals and vocals in this song work hand in hand to create warmth around an overwhelming topic. The song discusses religious salvation as well as forgiveness between people. “The Vegas Suite” carefully returns listeners to a powerful message after what felt like a roller coaster of an album.
“The Night the Zombies Came” is packed with many ups and downs, making it difficult to judge. As a collective, the album does not work well together, but some individual songs stand strong alone. Unfortunately, this was not a sequence of singles, though. It was an album that did not prove successful, despite producing a few great songs.
Rating: 2.5/5