Music artist: Frank Black

« Frank Black's Honeycomb audio CD | Music | Greater Boston's Yellow River Ensemble »

Music artist: Frank Black

August 22, 2005 12:15 PM EST | Celebrities , Music | Email to Friend

When the Pixies first broke up back in 1993, Frank Black set forth on an incredibly prolific solo career. In the dozen or so albums he's released in that time, Black's indulged in many a musical whim, tackling everything from the post-punk squall that made his old band famous to surf rock to new wave.

On his latest, Black heads to Nashville to work with legendary session hands and record a croon-filled roots rock gem. Even though the Pixies are back together and touring, it's clear he hasn't slowed down a bit. In fact, as Black gets older, it becomes clearer and clearer that the man can do anything he wants and do it well.

When Frank Black went into the studio this time, he enlisted some serious firepower to back him. Steve Cropper and Spooner Oldham have written and performed on more classic soul records than we care to count, while Anton Fig did time backing cats like Bob Dylan and playing in Paul Schaeffer's band on "Late Night With David Letterman." Their efforts aren't wasted, as this is one of the finest records in Black's post-Pixies career.

The songs here, most of which cruise at a midtempo strum, are very economical. Tracks like "Go Find Your Saint" are short, tight and trimmed of flab.

He does find time to meander, though. His cover of Dan Penn's "Dark End of the Street" sounds downright Van Morrison-esque, while "Another Velvet Nightmare" is a brutally sad alcohol-fueled slow dance.

Showing a knack for crafting catchy melodies and writing witty, relatable lyrics on songs like "My Life is in Storage," Honeycomb is accessible and fun without pandering to the lowest common denominator. It's warm and comforting. It's music for porch sitting and iced tea drinking. Above all, it's an album that deserves your attention.

Honeycomb