Pixies - ‘Indie Cindy’ | Album Review

For years now, Pixies fans have been eagerly awaiting the band’s first release since 1991’s Trompe Le Monde, and now that time has finally arrived. Since Autumn last year, the remaining members of the band have been dropping a number of EPs, and now - with the help of long-time producer Gil Norton - those songs have been combined to form the Pixies fifth full-length record, Indie Cindy.

Despite the loss of bassist Kim Deal, there’s no doubt that the Pixies have still got it. While managing to retain their original sound of alternative noise rock, there’s something weirdly nostalgic about this record that embraces alternative rock in its original and greatest forms via the likes of Radiohead and Nirvana, combining that sound with some of the best ‘noughties’ American rock bands such as Jimmy Eat World and Nada Surf.

The album opens brilliantly with the heavy, punk rock belter ‘What Goes Boom’. Then ‘Bag Boy’ appears to be an aggressive spout towards social media, while title-track ‘Indie Cindy’ and soft, melodic ‘Greens And Blues’ stand stong, highly reminiscent of Radiohead’s debut album Pablo Honey. Unfortunately, the record also includes a few disappointing tracks such as ‘Silver Snail’ and ‘Another Toe In The Ocean’, but the band make up for it towards the end of the record with ‘Jaime Bravo’, a track consisting of half-spoken eccentricities and a dreamy, floating melody.

It’s that signature Pixies sound; “loud-quiet-loud” grungy, punk rock executed with absolute brilliance. It’s a great record, with a few minor hiccups here and there. It’s a known fact that the majority of alt. rock comeback albums either own it completely, or crash and burn. Somehow, the Pixies managed to avoid smashing into the ground, just barely scraping the barriers of ‘owning it’.

Check out Bagboy right here: