Frank Black -- Hipster Music

Dog in the Sand

Mr. Black has jumped in the way back one for this one, bypassing the Pixies and everything else related to it. He's gone back top the day of The Rolling Stones and brought it back to the present, even uttering the line "show me the way to come / zugzwang got me in a way / under my opposing thumb" in the song "Robert Onion." An ode to The Stones? Who knows. The sound is rootsy, bluesy pop that is sparse in parts and features piano/organ flourishes in others, but is all pretty basic in its structure and presentation. While it's certainly not going to blow anybody away, there are some wonderful moments, like the emotional "The Swimmer" that could certainly make it into a mixed tape or the heart and mind of a sentimentalist like me.

Frank Black

The first solo effort from former Pixies leadman, Black Francis, finds him trolling through similar neighborhoods and sounds as the band's swansong, Trompe Le Monde. The fact that he starts off the album with an ode to my hometown, Los Angeles, does my heart proud, and he nails it, with a great mixture of old and new, loud and soft. I miss the great background vocals of Kim Deal, but Black's bravado and enthusiasm brings a whole new feel to the table. As with most musical arcs and solo albums, Black has mellowed with age, but hasn't necessarily gotten less dirty. This is a very decent solo debut and points to good things in the future, but Black has to be careful, as his sound can almost seem like a caricature of himself at times. That's the worry with any wacky character who develops an alias for himself, but if he continues down the road of storytelling rock 'n roll he's established here, things will be cool.

Show Me Your Tears

This thing feels more like an album than Dog In the Sand. The mood is the same throughout--and that mood is sad. It's all about leaving and drinking and heartbreak. With titles like "Horrible Day," "When Will Happiness Find Me Again," and "This Old Heartache" what would one expect? Of course it's not all somber and gloomy like you'd think, but defiantly upbeat and bordering on bluesy country. Do we miss the old Black Francis? Of course we do, but we could do worse than this new age country troubadour.

Teenager of the Year

Despite the creepy cover, you can tell after the first two tracks that this is going to be a special album. One album into his solo career and Black has already hit his stride. The guy ain't hip. He's the geeky music lover's poster child, but we all love the geeks. He's the guy at the record store with a Cheap Trick shirt on, and the first pressing of the Mothership Connection by Parliament (you know the guy I'm talking about). His music has a kind of spacey, country rock twang to it. It's a nice step away from the Pixies, and an introduction to the goofy world of Frank Black--a world that eventually had inhabitants like Weezer and Stephen Malkmus. There are some great, memorable tunes on here--ones that even rival some Pixies tracks. This is, by far, Black's best solo effort, and despite being a tad too long, can be listened to start to finish multiple times without the slightest hesitation.