Unlike the slew of legendary acts -- including
My Bloody Valentine,
Boards of Canada, and
Daft Punk -- who surprised fans with new albums in 2013,
Pixies emerged from their lengthy recording hiatus more cautiously. By releasing a series of EPs that were eventually collected as
Indie Cindy for 2014's Record Store Day, the band eased fans into their new material. In some ways, the album feels like what the band would be doing two decades on from their peak even if they hadn't taken a break. Aside from "Snakes," which tempers the biblical post-punk of their early work into something resigned instead of vengeful, most of these songs continue the sci-fi riff rock of the band's later albums and
Frank Black's first two solo albums (producer
Gil Norton even suggested that the bandmembers pretend that they'd spent their hiatus touring in outer space). "Blue Eyed Hexe," a rocker in the mold of "U-Mass," proves
Black Francis' scream is still spine-tingling. "What Goes Boom" sounds like a beefier version of "Alec Eiffel," while "Indie Cindy"'s mix of shouty, stream-of-consciousness verses and dreamy interludes recalls
Frank Black's "Los Angeles" more than his
Pixies work. The least contrived songs are the best: "Magdalena" creates tension between its heavy guitars and soft vocals in a way that's less expected, and more interesting, than the band's famed loud-quiet-loud dynamics. Meanwhile, "Greens and Blues" combines the album's spacy motif with heartfelt songwriting and lyrical guitar work from
Joey Santiago, who also helps elevate "Jaime Bravo" and "Ring the Bell." ~ Heather Phares