Search - Frank Black & the Catholics :: Black Letter Days

"I could make albums all day," boasts the rotund Frank Black in the cover letter accompanying Black Letter Days. He's not kidding. Like fellow '80s post-punk icons Paul Westerberg and Bob Mould, Black has relaxed his production values and become ridiculously prolific. Between this album and the simultaneously released Devil's Workshop, he's pushed out 29 fresh songs, with each session recorded live to a two-track tape amid minimal fuss. Much of the spark that once made the Pixies one of Kurt Cobain's most beloved bands has evaporated. But it has been replaced by an efficient, workmanlike approach that yields the kind of raw, rowdy rockers the Pixies were turning out in their early days. The pedal-steel-swathed "Valentine and Garuda" and brusque country rock of "Jet Black River" provide some of the most satisfying moments of Black's solo years. With a hard-nosed producer and some serious editing, there's no doubt that Black would have another classic album on his hands. In the meantime, Black Letter Days and Devil's Workshop will do. --Aidin Vaziri