BLACK FRANCIS – NONSTOPEROTIK
Black Francis, Frank Black, Black Frank … the name may change but a new offering from the sometimes Pixie front-man is always worth exploring. As the album title suggests, Nonstoperotik is an album of songs inspired by sex. Now Black Francis may not bring the same sensual images to mind as say Prince or Barry White, but Frank has touched on carnal knowledge before – Nimrod’s Son for example. Frank’s solo work has always, interestingly, been more straightforward rock’n’roll than The Pixies, and this continues here. While the lyrical content is more romantic than raunchy (the use of strings and lush production echoing this) Frank plays with this as we might expect; When I Go Down On You sounds more AOR ballad than the left-field alt rocker that the title may suggest. If something lacks here it is a sense of cohesion, as result of the slicker than normal production which works so well on the songs like the haunting Rabbits, Frank’s naturally biting rockers are more muted, losing much of what we love about him most. But you can’t keep a good man down, and when he squalls “Maybe I’ll kick it / Then I’ll be sweet” on Dead Man’s Curve you know all is good with the world.
***
