Five albums in five years were enough for the Pixies to become a legend. They were role models for Nirvana, but even David Bowie – the old master himself – praised them as the best band of the 1980s Then came the great crash and the members went their own ways. They didn’t return to the stage until 2003, and we’ve had to wait almost 10 more years until they finally brought out new material.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the happy reunion we’d been waiting for. The 2012 four-song EP1 was disappointing, with a sound that was way too smooth. By then, they’d suffered the stunning departure of Kim Deal, and a period that saw the Pixies seemingly change bassists on a nearly weekly basis.
The Pixies without Kim Deal? No, that doesn’t work. And you realize it again with their newest release EP2. Her gentle voice always was the counterpart to Frank Black’s screaming, and it’s missing in every song. Tracks like “Magdalena” or “Snakes,” neither of which have any structure, are just not up to the old Pixie standards.
One wonders again why legendary bands ruin their reputation this way. Is it because of the money? Or an unquenchable desire to rekindle the magic of earlier days? Turns out, Kim Deal had the right idea, leaving before this disaster got worse.
- Josephine Foster – I’m A Dreamer (2013) - January 13, 2014
- On Second Thought: Bruce Springsteen – High Hopes (2014) - January 11, 2014
- James Vincent McMorrow – Post Tropical (2014) - January 10, 2014
