Pixies - 2016

The Pixies - from left, Paz Lenchantin, David Lovering, Joey Santiago and Black Francis - are back with their sixth studio album and the first with Lenchantin in place of original bassist Kim Deal.

(Travis Shinn)

"Head Carrier"

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Pixies took 19 years between "Trompe Le Monde'' and 2014's "Indie Cindy.''

The hiatus between that and the sixth full-length studio album from the band born in 1986, "Head Carrier,'' is considerably shorter, due out as it is on Sept. 30.

So why the "quick" turnaround?

That's linked no doubt to the arrival of Paz Lenchantin, who has replaced original bassist Kim Deal. There's some history there - the band was active from 1986 to 1993, when they took an acrimonious break (co-founder and vocalist Black Francis - real name Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV - threw a guitar at Deal at a show in Germany) and reunited in 2004. Deal left again at the end of 2013 after recording "Indie Cindy'' but before the band went on tour to promote it.

Whatever issues Francis and Deal had are in the past. Lenchantin has taken over the role of female voice he'd always envisioned for the group.

And it's not a bad mix. Her voice adds a nice touch to "All I Think About Now,'' a song written by Francis that he admits is about Deal. He told Rolling Stone it's not necessarily an apology, but more of a remembrance of the good times the band had. Having Lenchantin sing it gives added credibility to the sentiment.

The rest of the album has a lot of poppy sound to it, with the occasional foray into alternative on such tunes as "Um Chagga Lacka'' or almost folk with "Tenement Song.'' The title cut has a bit of a past Pixies feel, one that's heightened on "Plaster of Paris,'' which has the unmistakable Francis voice that gave the music world "Where Is My Mind'' sooooooo many years ago.

Lenchantin's presence has rekindled the fire, Francis said. This album is OK -- not great, but OK. But it's full of promise of what can be. Grade: C+



The Pixies

Head Carrier

Pixies Music