Throw on a denim jacket, grab all the neon within reach and put on a John Hughes film because the 1980s are back—literally. Pixies, a band that changed the alternative rock scene in the late 1980s, released their first studio album in 23 years on April 29. Those in need of a soundtrack to their next Throwback Thursday should look no further than the Pixies’ new album, “Indie Cindy.”
The band, comprised of lead vocalist Black Francis, lead guitar player Joey Santiago and David Lovering on the drums, formed in 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts and quickly found success in the alternative rock world. While they never fully reached “mainstream” levels of recognition, their haunting 1988 single, “Where is My Mind?,” was prominently featured in David Fincher’s 1999 film “Fight Club.” Their “unorthodox marriage of surf rock and punk rock,” as Laura Barton puts it in her Aug. 19, 2005 “Guardian” article, would go on to influence artists like Radiohead, U2 and The Strokes.
With “Indie Cindy,” the Pixies return to their roots with relative ease. The album comes straight off the shelves of 1980s alternative rock in terms of its sound and style, while still ringing with a certain freshness. “What Goes Boom” opens the album with ferocious, unrelenting rock energy, harking back to the best punk rock of the 1980s.
The more contemplative, mellow “Green and Blues” (featuring pretty psychedelic lyrics like “I said I’m human, but you know I lied / I’m only visiting this shore”) and title-track “Indie Cindy” (a fun mix of angry slam-poetry-esque verses and lullaby-like choruses) follow. After the chanting and thumping “Bagboy,” the most punk rock and preachy of the songs, the album sets off in a more refined direction.
Songs like the hypnotic “Silver Snail,” self-reflective “Ring the Bell” and the absolutely mesmerizing “Andro Queen” are the perfect tunes for a lazy Saturday afternoon or a late-night drive down the highway. “Andro Queen,” especially, is like an ethereal, dazzling trip into a fantastical dream world.
Throughout the album, the Pixies seem to oscillate between two speeds—mellow and full throttle. And they do both extremely well. Like “What Goes Boom” and “Bagboy,” the track “Blue Eyed Hexe” toward the middle of the album is a full-on rock anthem equipped with screaming choruses and volcanic guitar solos. The album reaches a climax with “Snakes” and “Jaime Bravo.” The former pulsates with a driving beat amidst evocative and clever lyrics about inner and outer demons, while the latter plays like the triumphant, grunge finale befitting a pretty stellar comeback.
Pixies unashamedly channel the gorgeous 1980s alternative rock that first shaped them—and to great success. “Indie Cindy” captures the best of them, and indeed of 1980s rock as well, while still looking forward and playing to the current thirst for good rock music. It is old school in the best possible way and perfect for the retro/throwback/flashback-loving generation of today. While denim, neon and “The Breakfast Club” might be what first comes to mind about the 1980s, the Pixies serve as an excellent reminder that 1980s alternative rock is relevant, fresh and, most importantly, back in style.
