When
Bossanova
arrived in 1990, it reflected the exhaustion
the Pixies
felt after
Doolittle
's enormous success: For the first time, the band seems to be running out of ideas. Tellingly,
Kim Deal
contributes no songs, having formed
the Breeders
to give her work an outlet; that summer, their debut
Pod
won a warmer response than
received. Arguably
' weakest album -- though
Francis
has said it's his favorite -- most of it finds the band in fine form.
Gil Norton
's spacious, reverb-heavy production makes
sound like a Martian bar band, which fits the cover of
the Surftones
'
"Cecilia Ann"
and the glorious, shimmering closer
"Havalina"
perfectly. On the theremin-driven
"Velouria,"
science fiction imagery displaces
' penchant for fetishistic lyrics; next to the token kinky song
"Down to the Well"
's tired sound, it's a refreshing change. The similarly cryptic
"All Over the World"
and alien abduction tale
"The Happening"
add to the sci-fi feel. Quirky pop songs like
"Allison,"
a tribute to jazz cool-cat
Mose Allison
, and
"Dig for Fire,"
' self-professed
Talking Heads
homage, heighten
's playful, slightly off-kilter vibe, but rockers like
"Hang Wire"
and
"Blown Away,"
fall flat. However,
"Rock Music"
is one of the group's most fiery outbursts, and
"Is She Weird"
's chugging grind and sexy, funny lyrics make it a classic
Pixies
song. The band was so consistently amazing on their previous albums that when they released a slightly weaker one, critics and fans alike judged them too harshly. But on
's strongest moments,
explored their softer side and found different uses for their extreme dynamics. Like a straight-A student who suddenly receives a B+,
might have been a disappointment initially, but its (small) failings emphasize the strengths of the rest of
' work. ~ Heather Phares