PIXIES レコード& CD

Review: Over the last few years, the Pixies have become surprisingly prolific, serving up a string of albums that move away from their punky alt-rock roots and further towards more grandiose, immersive territory. They've subtly shifted the dial even further on Doggerel, which on this 'deluxe' edition comes packaged in a bespoke hardback case. With the assistance of producer Tom Delgaty, drummer David Lovering and bassist Paz Lenchantin, Joey Santiago and Black Francis have chosen to offer up a string of widescreen epics that variously touch on folk-rock, 1960s dream-pop, Americana, turn-of-the-90s alternative rock and the kind of classic, timeless-sounding indie that should appeal to those who came of age in the 1990s. Highlights include the psych-tinged 'There's a Moon On' and the hooky, Pulp-does-Americana flex of 'Vault of Heaven'.

Review: When the end days come and it's finally time to write the complete story of American rock 'n' roll, surely Pixies will get their own chapter. Legends of the grunge world, often known for a stylistic simplicity (quiet-LOUD anyone?) but unafraid to go out on a psychedelic limb when the moment suits, they've towered above the majority of acts for 28 years and, as "Beneath The Eyrie" proves, still have plenty to say. "In The Arms of Mrs Mark Of Cain" starts proceedings on a gothic-Western hybrid tip, setting things up perfectly for any song named "Graveyard Hill". Realistically when that track does arrive it switches the mood with a nod to the band's archetypal punk-infused sound, and that's precisely the point. Apparently betting the farm on this one, it's got everything from psych-folk to Tim Burton-ish ghoulish wit, making for the band's finest hour since their 2004 reformation.