3.5 out of 5.0 stars
Pixies has come back to haunt October with its spooky spectacular ninth studio album “The Night the Zombies Came.” The album holds a theme of horror with stories of zombies, hypnosis and being chased from the perspective of a decapitated chicken.
The band has been long known for its imprint on rock music in the 1980s and early 1990s, but as of March this year, its bassist Paz Lenchantin left the group and fans have been eager to hear what the band’s new sound will be. Emma Richardson, the new bassist, pulls through with her smooth vocals on various tracks in the new album. Bass lines are the glue to any song and Richardson proves her ability to keep up with the large shoes left for her to fill, while also adding her own style.
The first track, “Primrose,” has a delicate guitar as a base which sets an uneasy tone for lyrics like “Is it even real? / Who knows?” The message doesn’t seem to add up at first, but with the mention of dreams in the last verse it becomes clear that making sense may not have been the goal.
“You’re So Impatient” comes in hard and punk as the second track on the album with Pixies’ signature drum sound that satisfies long-time listeners and puts them in a dancing mood. It seems perfectly placed, spotlighting the flip side of what the band can do after hearing “Primrose”.
Competing with the band’s previous rock hits like the 1989 album “Doolittle” is not an easy feat. It becomes apparent after these first two songs that while Pixies are moving toward slightly softer vocals, they are able to keep up with their staple for brash rock instrumentals.
The title track “Jane (The Night the Zombies Came)” encapsulates some of the best lyrical storytelling on the album that is kept steady by Black Francis’ ever-creeping singing build up. The song checks all the boxes for a Halloween classic starting off with “He went on a walk with Jane / Never was he seen again,” setting the scene for a haunting archetypal missing person story. The track soon reveals that Jane becomes a zombie and in the end “She was the only survivor / He was right there beside her / The night the zombies came.” To add to the tone, Pixies keep a minor key in stride the whole time with heavy electric guitar strums.
Strange occurrences in the night are a constant in the album, including a song about being a decapitated chicken. “Chicken” is a song you can’t soon forget. “Sometimes I feel like a chicken / Peckin’ my way through the trees / When something aloft cuts my head right off / Now I’m dealing with decapitation.” The song is both serious in its somber chorus and laughable in its verse detailing the chicken searching for a lover that won’t kill it. It’s easily one of the songs that stands out most on the album.
“Hypnotised” has the band’s standard rock sound while experimenting with poetic storytelling to amplify the confusion of being hexed. The chorus is melodic and tunes down the fast-paced sound of the other songs without losing its velocity since it is followed by another verse about being out of control.
“Motoroller” and “Johnny Good Man” are both solid additions to the band’s repertoire with danceable beats and proof of their extensive ability to perform rock. “Motoroller” in particular is enhanced by overlapping harmonies from Richardson that could have been taken advantage of more in the album.
While “The Night the Zombies Came” as an album has an alluring strangeness in its devotion to its energetically horrific themes, one song sat out of the race. “Mercy Me” is the slowest-paced song on the album and just under four minutes. It lacks the anxious instrumentals that pair so well with Francis’ deep and alluring voice in the other tracks. Instead, it is an attempt at a somber ballad that unfortunately loses the listener in the expectation for spunk and excitement. The chorus about losing his dog in Tennessee doesn’t stand up to the earlier tracks about the undead — human and chicken alike.
Even the track directly following it, “Ernest Evans,” tries to pick the pace back up but does so fleetingly. The guitar work is impressive and strong, but it’s just not as catchy as the first five songs. It feels more like an ode to the band’s old work than anything truly electrifying.
Despite a few punk rock letdowns, “The Night the Zombies Came” is an album to turn up and break out some chilling dance moves to this Halloween. The order of songs was well thought-out and it felt like there was a real thread of thought to follow, which is something that some album track placements lack. The horror theme was exciting to hear about before the album’s release, and just as evocatively spooky to listen to after.
