--Ada Wofford
Released September 10, 2019 on Rough Trade
It’s so difficult not to compare a post-breakup Pixies album to their pre-breakup albums. Everyone’s knee-jerk reaction is the same thing, “It’s not as good as the early stuff!” And now with Kim Deal gone, some people have completely written the Pixies out of their lives. I really don’t want to fall into this trap. The latter issue is easy because I really love their new bassist, Paz Lenchantin. The former issue is inevitable so there are two things I want to get out of the way now in reference to the earlier albums:
1) Beneath the Eyrie doesn’t quite sound as good as the older albums. I think this album was recorded digitally, so that may be part of it. But it’s something about the space in the tracks. Early Pixies albums sound huge and I loved that about those recordings. Beneath the Eyrie’s production sounds good, just not quite as good.
2) Early Pixies had amazing arrangements that were super tight. Beneath the Eyrie falls short of this but even Tromp le Monde fell short of this. I believe part of this may be down to the recording/writing process that was lovingly documented in a 12-part podcast called It’s a Pixies Podcast.
A lot of this album was written in the studio. Lead guitars, drum parts, even entire songs were written and performed for the first time during the three weeks in December of 2018 that the Pixies worked on this album. In general, this approach can pay off but it doesn’t allow for the songs to mature. Much of what is on Surfer Rosa (at least by my understanding) the band had been playing and performing for some time already. Multiple performances over a period of time allows the band to introduce nuances and details impossible to pick up on when the song is brand new. As impressed as I am by Beneath the Eyrie, I can’t help but feel as if it would have benefitted from this process of maturation. That being said, let’s dig into what’s great about this album.
Despite the production not being quite as good as Surfer Rosa, the sound is undeniably Pixies. Even with the weird prepared piano riff that opens the first track, “Mrs. Mark of Cain,” you know this is a Pixies album from the first note. All of the signature guitar tone is here, Paz’s bass is crisp and punchy, and David Lovering’s drums are huge and demand attention. At certain times (as in the chorus of “On Graveyard Hill”) Frank Black’s vocals feel a bit lethargic. They’re not intense enough, not punk enough; but I suppose he’s not a twenty-something anymore and so I shouldn't hold him to the same standard.
Listening to the podcast reveals that Paz has become a true member of Pixies. She speaks of her reverence of the band and her eagerness to contribute to the new material. Paz’s love for the Pixies is apparent in her spot-on bass lines, particularly on “On Graveyard Hill” and “Catfish Kate.” Between takes, Paz throws out suggestions for arrangements and the rest of the band are happy to oblige. At one-point, Black says that the suggestions of Paz and of producer, Tom Dalgety, are always right. It was interesting to listen to how laid back Black was about his songs. These moments serve to prove that Beneath the Eyrie is a true band collaboration.
The real flaws of this album are found in the few moments of over production. “Catfish Kate” is easily my favorite song on this album but it’s spoiled by excessive atmosphere, particularly in the build-up towards the end and the inclusion of cheesy hand-claps. The Tom Waits-esque “This is My Fate” suffers from silly sounding percussion fills that sound more like an improvised afterthought then a planned-out arrangement.
Some songs such as, “Ready for Love” and “Bird of Prey” fall a bit flat and end up being forgettable. But there are plenty of standout tracks—“Long Rider” and “St. Nazaire” are heavy, catchy tunes you want to blast out of your car stereo while driving around. And “Daniel Boone” is perhaps one of the prettiest Pixies songs ever written, second only to “Where is my Mind?”
Overall, Beneath the Eyrie is a good album. It’s solid and it ticks off nearly all of the boxes. The reason it’s not going to punch you in the gut the way Surfer Rosa or Doolittle did is because you’re not eighteen anymore and you already listened to those albums a million times. The issue with a band putting out so much great material is that we, as fans, become immune to the music. Not even listening to Surfer Rosa will make me feel the way I did the first time I heard Surfer Rosa, so how could I possibly expect Beneath the Eyrie to accomplish that?
It’s one thing to shit on Weezer because no one has any clue what that band is attempting to accomplish at any given time. But Frank Black has consistently been writing good songs throughout his career; both with the Pixies and his other projects and bands. I think it’s time for the Pixies-purists to get off their high horse and realize what great music they've been missing out on.
If you’re interested in learning about what gear the Pixies use, I would listen to episode 9 of the podcast (that probably consists of the most gear talk). There are some interesting things such as Black’s custom 4-string guitar and his high-strung acoustic. But for the most part, it sounds like they are using the same gear they have been using for awhile, which you can learn all about from their Rig Rundown. Check out “Catfish Kate” from Beneath the Eyrie below: