Frank Black
"Honeycomb"
Back Porch Records

Just because Frank Black is riding a wave of mutilation with the recently reunited Pixies, doesn't mean the man sometimes known as Black Francis can't crank out solo music faster than the record industry can buy recording tape.

This time sans The Catholics, Black pursues his passion for country-tinged Americana on a record teeming with gritty/mellow tunes that conjure up vivid thoughts of despair and loneliness without wallowing in depression. It's almost like the saddest feel good music you'll ever hear.

Backed by country stalwarts Steve Cropper, Anton Fig and Spooner Oldham, Black skips the popular alt-country trend that leaked onto his last half dozen solo records for stripped down honky tonk acoustic groove. The few times he gets his Telecaster cranking on tunes like "Song of the Shrimp" he ramps up the tempo of the song without stretching out and fully rocking. While some fans might find the lack of rock on "Honeycomb" to be a detriment to the album, the flow of the record is near perfect, and the vocals are pure Frank Black.

The Pixies recently announced yet another series of shows in the near future, but rumors of a record have been unfounded. Frank Black, however, is still churning out his solo music at a pace of nearly one every year and a half. Maybe some of the fans that packed out a week at the Hammerstein Ballroom to hear "Wave of Mutilation" might finally realize that Black never went away. He just went underground... and a little bit country.


Reviewed by: George Koroneos
Reviewed on: July 19, 2005