The master at work.
Black Francis’s voice is incredibly distinctive, sure he doesn’t scream as much when he’s not hooked up with the band but the former Pixies man still hasn’t lost any of his charm and caustic wit and his command of a decent and catchy tune is working just fine thank you. Compared to his last release, the post Pixies reunion album, which featured a rash of melodic Pixiesesque tunes this is definitely a move back towards a more minimal and lo-fi sound, but none the worse for it.
Billed as a mini album and coming in at 20 minutes this isn’t anywhere near the length of today’s standard albums, however he manages to cram in plenty of material here to keep the most rabid fans happy; ‘Garbage Heap’ is Mr Black at his most charismatic, it’s smooth and tuneful but it’s also fuzzy and tinged with melancholy. ‘Half Man’ has a folk inspired feel that seems to be a sound he often returns to on his solo releases and it brings an atmosphere of longing and quiet reflection. On the other end of the scale, ‘I Sent Away’ bristles with alt rock fury; fast and abrasive and brittle and with lyrics like “I was alone/I killed my clone/I learned to play the xylophone” and then “ I was born with seven fingers and seven toes” from ‘Seven Fingers’ on which we really hear his tongue in cheek dark humour running through, showing he can still challenge and subvert the norm, it’s a comforting thought.
“Svn Fngrs” is testament to Frank’s song writing skills, filled with vital and catchy tunes and quirky lyrics and riffs, this is another collection of excellent songs from this prolific talent; teaching us all to never doubt that he will blow most other songwriters out of the water. The only problem with this release is that it’s not nearly long enough. More please, and fast.