ALBUM REVIEWS
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ALBUM REVIEWS |
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Black Francis
SVN FNGRS COOKING VINYL 3.03.08 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk
The latest release from ex-Pixies Frontman Frank Black (in the guise of his alter-ego Black Francis) is a 20-minute mini-album, made up of tracks that were originally intended to be B-Sides. The seven tracks on this LP-lite cover the areas of “nasty sex, nastier death and beautifully strange birth” (according to the artist). What I found was a concept album that showcases a raw, energetic sound with seemingly seven different frontmen: “The Seus” – The opening track: this is messy, in an REM way: the vocals sound like Michael Stipe doing Beastie Boys, with the lyrics reminding me less of Dr Seus, and more of a University Creative Writing student airing his latest experimental work. “I Sent Away” – again has the same feeling of student authorship, and is crying out for a proper Indie chorus. The seemingly endless list of actions that runs through its 2 minutes means you have to make a conscious choice to either listen to them or follow the cycling refrain… “Seven Fingers “– Bringing the concept together, this reminds of Tom Petty, with moments of Dylanesque intonation. “Half Man “– Musically, the Tom Petty theme continues, but this time he is accompanied by vocals in the style of Kings Of Leon. “When They Come To Murder Me” – This has more of a modern-day Indie feeling, like a demo from the mid 90’s that became an instantly recognisable work when the studio production was applied to it. “The Tale Of Lonesome Fetter” – With vocals like Paul Weller, this promises much, but sadly is not so much a tale as a title with nowhere to go…. “Garbage Heap “– Has a good guitar riff and prominent bass, but just isn’t as catchy as you would hope. I don’t really get a sense of what was promised in the press release, but “Svn Fngrs” is enjoyable enough. It’s raw & dirty and continues the standard that so many know and expect from an artist who has been so influential over the last 20 years. It certainly keeps your attention, and trying to find the similarities in the vocals between the tracks could keep you up all night….. www.blackfrancis.net www.frankblack.net |
