ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Pixies Doggerel BMG, Out on Friday ★★★☆☆

Pixies stormed through the highlights of their 35-year career at July’s Iveagh Garden headliner and again when they played before local heroes Fontaines DC at Electric Picnic in Stradbally recently.

But two songs from Doggerel (not to be confused of course with Fontaines DC’s debut Dogrel) namely There’s A Moon On and Vault Of Heaven got airings at those high-octane and wellreceived shows.

The comparatively melodic nature of those and others such as Dregs Of The Wine and Pagan Man, a song with a whistling solo, continue in the direction of their most recent post-comeback albums Head Carrier and Beneath

The Eyrie.

Others such as Nomatterday and Haunted House share musical DNA with songs on the pre-split Bossanova album.

If the ferocity of Charles ‘Black Francis’ Thompson’s vocals and the loud-quiet-loud dynamics of their proto-grunge is what you loved most about Pixies then you best stick with your Surfer Rosa and Doolittle albums.