With the Pixies’ tenth album, The Night The Zombies Came, the band has now matched its pre-breakup output. Since reforming in 2004, the group has released five albums. The group has effortlessly morphed from alt-rock groundbreakers into relaxed middle-aged rockers.
The core band, Black Francis – lead vocals, rhythm and acoustic guitar, David Lovering – drums, percussion, backing vocals, and Joey Santiago – lead guitar, backing vocals, welcome new bassist/backing vocalist Emma Richardson (Band of Skulls) into the fold. Produced by Tom Dalgety, who has worked with the veterans on their last three albums (Head Carrier (2016) Beneath the Eyrie (2019) and Doggerel (2022)), the sound and scope is moving in a cinematic direction for the group this go around.
Like all of the band’s reunion releases, The Night The Zombies Came is a mixed bag overall. Some heavier offerings, slightly off-kilter rock, acoustic strums, and larger sounds add to the musical range. It ends up as a serviceable rock record that never sniffs the heights of their early career classic output.
Opening with acoustic strumming and excellent backing vocals from Richardson (a staple throughout the record), “Primrose” eases the listener into the Pixies’ late career straight-ahead sound as Santiago’s shimmering guitar shines bright. The band builds an ominous tone around “Jane (The Night the Zombies Came)” with layers of instrumentation while “Hypnotised” (with lyrics from Santiago) continues in that picturesque pattern. “Chicken” is the most over-the-top effort with big swaying sounds, weepy guitars, deep bass, and an excellent guitar outro.
“Johnny Good Man” feels a bit stagnant and extraneous, caught between arena rock grandeur and alt-rock success. “I Hear You Mary” amps up the art rock vibe, never fully coming together around swirling sounds and big drums.
The band turns up the revving tempo and fuzzy layers of feedback on a few harder-hitting numbers. “You’re So Impatient” gets pumping with hip-swinging catchy vibes around a ripping solo while still clocking in at two minutes. “Oyster Beds” is heavily motoring, while “Ernest Evans” has a big banging intro and then slams into upbeat, rambling punk.
On the flip side, the band offers up their odd twist on a country song with “Mercy Me,” upping the twang quotient as it sticks around too long, while “Motoroller” is much better, straddling both worlds with a unique strumming/swaying sound as it recalls the band’s old tension, but never explodes. The album wraps up with two solid numbers: the folksy, slightly off-center pop of both “Kings of The Prairie” with gorgeous guitar lines/backing vocals and album closer “The Vegas Suite,” which rolls with quirky confidence.
The Night the Zombies Came is a well-grounded offering, as the Pixies continue to evolve without getting too worked up.
