Pixies
Surfer Rosa

THE REVIEW

I heard this album for the first time last night, and the first thing that came to mind (after a liberating "Finally some cool rock" repeated multiple times in my head) was I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO REVIEW IT!!!

The first reason that pushed me so ardently to jot down a few lines about the Pixies is that until 24 hours ago I knew nothing about them (and still don't know anything): so, what better way to be impartial?
The second reason, much more important, is that the sound of this band from the 80s is a practically perfect blend of rock, punk, sound, vocal, and rhythmic experimentation, whose parts come together wonderfully.
I've finally figured out who the Libertines are inspired by for many things; on this album, there are songs (like "Something Against You") that Doherty and Barat will know by heart.

So, to not make a fool of myself, I’ve done a little bit of research: Surfer Rosa is their first full-length album, following their very first release (the EP "Come On Pilgrim" which came out in '87) and the production is by Steve Albini(!).

The at least implicitly strange "lyrics" are accompanied by sharp riffs and a piercing electric guitar noise that I believe Kurt Cobain used to listen to before falling asleep at night.
The more I listen to this album, the more I believe that the blonde leader of Nirvana loved the Boston band in an almost obsessive way.
"Where Is My Mind" has within it, in the interplay between bass and drums, the seeds of grunge ready to explode a few years later, and then there's the soundtrack of the final scene of Fincher's epic Fight Club!
More melodic and easily accessible hooks at the first listen aren't disdained, like some duets between the singer and the female voice, but the underlying dirty rock, with its sounds sometimes undeniably borrowed from the Sex Pistols, remains and, apparently, today is more popular than ever (see the new wave of damned kids sharing the stage).

"Oh My Golly" has a frenetic rhythm, it's very short and incendiary, but it seemed like I had heard it before: yes, indeed, except it was called "Never Done Nothing Like That Before" released last year by Supergrass (it's way too similar!).
Obvious improvisations on the electric guitar aren't lacking ("Vamos"), which nevertheless, in the context, further increase the artistic charge of the work, making it a bit less solid and precise on one hand but also damn engaging.

So awesome!