Black is back.
Frank Black is back, or to be more exact, the alter-ego that is Black Francis has returned and with a new album called 'Bluefinger' it would be rude to give him the cold shoulder.
The single's name 'Captain Pasty' may conjure up images of Frank writing an ode to a savoury snack and given that the reformed Pixies looked as though their recent tour was sponsored by Greggs the bakers, but in actual fact it's an angry little number that proves that even though Frank may have lost his hair and a thin waistline but he has lost none of the fire and power that helped make him one of the most respected indie artists of the past few decades. The song spits and roars for its sub-two and a half minute length but it leaves the listener in no doubt that Francis still has an energy about his work.
Sounding increasingly like Captain Beefheart in particular the twang and drawl of the vocals, the new albums nod of homage to the Dutch painter/musician Herman Brood indicates a different approach and the news that the entire album was created in a few days, suggests a freshness in his sound, and possibly some frustration at the inability of the Pixies to get back into the studio.
With the sucess of the Pixies revival in the last few years, theres every chance that a new generation of fans have bought into the music of Frank and the gang and this could be a worthy stop-gap, although the "best of" of Frank Black may be a better place to start.