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Svn Fngrs

by

Black Francis

 
Svn Fngrs
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Avg: 4.0 (27 ratings)

Always intriguing, whatever the identity crisis.

  • We Say...

    Clocking in at under 20 minutes and recorded in less than a week, Frank Black's new mini-album sees him reverting to his old stage name because, in his own words, "it seemed to be a kind of Black Francis thing." Yet, the music it most recalls would be Teenager of the Year (released under the FB moniker), or even the manic attack of The Pixies' Bossanova.

    Fronting an economical three-piece, Francis himself wears many hats, including that of a fatalistic art-rock Johnny Cash on the title track ("death is on my left and on my right"), or a humble and apologetic Neil Young on "Half Man." There's even an off-kilter attempt at rap on "The Seus," and a tongue-in-cheek précis of his previously well-documented battles with major labels on "When They Come to Murder Me"; all seven tracks represent a reaffirmation of his singular wit and unrivalled maverick credentials. An alluring curio, heralding an enticing new chapter after last year's 93-03 solo career overview.

  • They Say...

    Just as Black Francis' Bluefinger was a musical portrait of Dutch painter, poet, and punk rocker Herman Brood, Frank Black stays in a conceptual frame of mind with the mini-album SVN FNGRS, which draws inspiration from the Irish mythological figure CĂșchulainn, who has seven fingers on each of his hands. Title aside, the album's references to CĂșchulainn aren't often apparent, but what comes through loud and clear is how charged these songs are. SVN FNGRS kicks off with "The Seus," an instant classic in Black's catalog. Burly guitars, a stuttering rhythm, and layers of Black's shouty vocals wrestle each other into a prickly, funky groove, updating the weirdness, smartness, and undeniable hooks of Frank Black songs like "Los Angeles" and "Ten Percenter." Black works his Stooges fetish harder than he has in years on "I Sent Away," a song with jabbing riffs that rocks harder than anything on Bluefinger did. Though the set only has seven songs (of course), it shows off Black's range, with softer and more vulnerable songs like the sweetly ambling pop of "Half Man" and "The Tale of Lonesome Fetter" providing the yin to some of the louder tracks' yang. Song for song, this is one of Black's strongest solo releases.

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