Black Francis - Svn Fngrs

Although Black himself remains tight-lipped on the subject, it would be a fair bet that some of the songs on Svn Fngrs were originally earmarked for a mooted Pixies comeback album. Case in point is opening track The Seus, a ramshackle piece of punk-blues and surreal mythical imagery that could've fallen off the back of Trompe Le Monde. However, this mini-album, a companion piece of sorts to last year's Bluefinger, has more in common with Black's own Teenager of the Year period of songwriting. Layered pop melodies and driving bass lines nestle comfortably with scratchy, off-key guitar punctuations, best demonstrated on The Tale Of Lonesome Fetter. "I was bored with modern chords," claims Black on the robo-pumping I Sent Away, perhaps giving some insight into his reinvigorated sound of late. Svn Fngrs may not be anything quite so revolutionary but it stands proudly in the Black Francis oeuvre. [Darren Carle]