BLACK FRANCIS

NonStopErotik

[Cooking Vinyl]

Occasional Pixies leader Black Francis has tended to alternate between albums full of honeyed crooning (Honeycomb, aptly enough) and noisy collections of unhinged sonic mayhem (Bluefinger). He marries the two on his latest, making for an intriguing union that turns unsettling with creepy vocals on the minor-key ballad “Rabbits” and the seemingly unconnected rhythm track that chugs along under “My Tidy Sum.” He shows off his volatile side elsewhere, going all loud-quiet-loud on “Six Legged Man” and unleashing a raw scream or two on “Dead Man’s Curve,” a terse rocker that piles lacerating guitars on top of soulful piano. Sometimes the sex is veiled but more often it’s not: “Cinema Star” extols the joys of, er, home movies, and “When I Go Down On You” is self-explanatory (and surprisingly sweet). It’s a bold suggestion, but then Black Francis has never been shy. – Eric R. Danton