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Jonathan Knox

July 06, 2016
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Legendary Alt-Rock band Pixies have revealed details for a new album titled, Head Carrier, and have shared its first single, “Um Chagga Lagga”. The new album follows 2014’s disappointing Indie Cindy which was their first album of original material since 1991’s Trompe Le Monde, though it was recorded without original bassist Kim Deal.

For Head Carrier, the band stuck with Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle, Zwan) for bass duties since she took over for former Muffs bassist Kim Shattuck. In a press release for the album, Lenchantin touched on her experience joining the Pixies: “There were these shoes I felt I had to fill and I tried to do the best I could for the fans, to make the live performances sound true to the originals. I spent three years learning to understand what being a Pixie meant, and now, my heart, spirit, and love for their music is embedded in me and I feel like I have become a Pixie. We had been more about the history of the Pixies, but now, we are about going forward.”

As for going forward, the new song, “Um Chagga Lagga” sounds like an exciting return to form without lazily rehashing the past. It’s a wild roadside story propelled by car chase drums and guitar that are pedal to the metal for the perfectly fitted 3 minute runtime. It does continue to be a challenge not imagining Kim Deal on these songs – particularly whenever there’s back and forth with frontman Frank Black, as there is here. That said, hearing Black sing, “I just keep on driving / don’t get mixed up in shit / you could get used to it“, it’s clear this band still has a lot to give and isn’t planning on stopping for anyone anytime soon.

Pictured above is the Head Carrier album cover (by longtime Pixie collaborator Vaughan Oliver), and below you can listen to “Um Chagga Lagga”. Beneath that, is the tracklisting for Head Carrier which is set to be released September 30th on Pixiesmusic/Play It Again Sam.

Head Carrier:

01 Head Carrier
02 Classic Masher
03 Baal’s Back
04 Might As Well Be Gone
05 Oona
06 Talent
07 Tenenement Song
08 Bel Esprit
09 All I Think About Now
10 Um Chagga Lagga
11 Plaster Of Paris
12 All The Saints