Trompe Le Monde - Pixies

Trompe le Monde opens with the record’s title track, a short song which demonstrates some of Joey Santiago’s most impressive guitar tricks. The Pixies once said that this album, which was to be their last studio album, was going to be, “a full-on rock record”. The opener sets the vibe for the rest of the album, with the band’s punkish, at times tragic, and less frequently tuneful songs, only three of which last for more than three minutes. Look out for “Motorway to Roswell”, “Subbacultcha”, “Letter to Memphis” – possibly one of the greatest songs of all time – and ...

A welcome return to form for the Pixies -- one of the most influential yet least recognised bands of the 80s/90s -- it might have seemed on its release that Trompe Le Monde marked a reversal of the decline hinted at by its lacklustre predecessor, Bossanova. Sadly it was more like a swansong, being the last album they recorded as a band. Luckily for us fans, it's actually pretty good. There are a few tracks that could almost be polished-up out-takes from the band's earlier sessions -- 'Subbacultcha' and 'Planet of Sound' stand out. The rest of the album is recognisably strange and twisted and although it rarely hits the heights ...

You've got to be able to handle weirdness with this one. Musically and lyrically it is very strange, at times, but "Trompe le Monde" is ultimately extremely beautiful, in my opinion. Like the earlier Bossanova, there's a science fiction theme - with maybe more emphasis on the 'science' this time around. The title song is an excellent introduction - cascading guitars, and eloquent solos, a great melody, a bit of screaming from Black Francis, frequent changes in tempo - you know you're in Pixieland. I absolutely love "Head on", a cover of the Jesus and Mary Chain song - it's an intense, desperate, drug song, which ...