Black Francis
Bluefinger
Cooking Vinyl

Two seconds into the first track “Captain Pasty,” and it’s almost impossible to believe that legend/indie rock god Frank Black has spent the last decade floundering in a country rock wasteland. Without a doubt, “Bluefinger” is Black’s greatest solo CD to date, even pounding out his former masterpiece “Pistolero.”

Black obviously took his former Pixie’s moniker to signify some sort of return to rock. But seriously, this CD should have just had The Pixies name on it because it’s balls to the wall awesome. The droning bass on “Tighter Black Rubber” and the choppy, distorted guitars on “You Can’t Break Your Heart and Have It” punctuate Black’s screaming roar. A handful of tracks are accompanied by some dreamy female vocals, but even the mellower songs are extraordinary.

For the last decade, Black has pumped out at least one album every year. It got to the point where they all started blurring together. “Bluefinger” is the exception to every misconception you’ve had about Black’s solo career. This is not Frank Black. This is not The Catholics. This is Black Francis, and he’s come to whoop everyone’s ass.

Doesn’t Rock l Kinda Rocks l Rocks l Really Rocks