Music
Review: Pixies’ ‘Head Carrier’ Features New Bassist, Old Sound
Our take on latest from alt-rock grandees
The Pixies' 2014 comeback, Indie Cindy, imagined what might've happened if the band hadn't split up before Nineties alt-rock made its sound huge. The follow-up is looser and less burdened by the past. Joey Santiago's guitar is as melodic and muscular as ever, while Black Francis showcases his throaty assault on "Baal's Back." New bassist Paz Lenchantin's low-end thump owes plenty to Kim Deal, the co-founder she replaced, but her bright harmonies bring a fresh wrinkle, perking up the thrashy "Um Chagga Lagga" and adding poignance to "All I Think About Now," an expression of gratitude to her beloved predecessor.