Search - Black Francis :: Svn Fngrs

A little gem

Georgia A. Morgan | Shreveport, LA USA | 06/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I won't pretend to be some hipster who has been listening to Frank Black in all his incarnations since forever. I like the Pixies, and the Breeders, but I'm just a normal 40-something adult female; at this point in my life, I listen to what I like just because I like it, and I'm always glad to find something new. This is definitely a turn-up-the-volume set of songs, and it's a pity that it's so infernally hot here in Louisiana, because I'd love to drive along with the windows down, listening to this really loud. It still works with the windows closed and the AC on, but it's much less romantic. I particularly like The Seus, I Sent Away, Seven Fingers, and When They Come to Murder Me; the first two are beyond odd, and very compelling, and the latter two have great beats, melodies, and lyrics. Who knows - I might end up going back and listening to everything he's ever done!"

Quality, not quantity

C. J. Keenan | Hingham, MA United States | 04/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a Pixies, Black Francis, Frank Black, Frank Black & The Catholics, Black Francis fan for a long time, and this is some of the best music you'll ever hear from him. I was a little disappointed in the length of the album, but every song is great. His true fans will love this."

Good stuff

H. D. Bennett | Northern CA, USA | 06/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have a rule with Frank Black/Black Francis albums - don't make any final judgments until I've had it for at least one year. The reason I have this rule is that a lot of his songs are "sleepers" .. at least, they are for me. For instance, when his first solo cd came out in 93, I instantly loved "Los Angeles" and didn't care much for "Czar". Today, "Czar" is one of my favorite FB songs - it just took time for me to really get it. And I never listen to "Los Angeles" anymore - go figure.



So - I am breaking my own rule here with this online review for Svn Fngrs. Why? Because it's damn good, and at present only has 7 reviews on Amazon! I did this same rule-breaking when Bluefinger came out - just doing my own bit to support a favorite artist.



On with the review - there are plenty of insightful reviews online if you google so I'll try to be brief and not do a track-by-track. The music is - to my ears - a bit more interesting than Bluefinger was and by the same token not as immediately accessible as Bluefinger. I wasn't sure I liked it on first listen.



Now, I listen to it quite a bit. Some great tracks are "I Sent Away" - which is a lot of fun - and "When they Come to Murder Me". "The Seus" is one of those sleepers I mentioned earlier. I didn't care for it at first listen, and now it is the one I find the most interesting. The odd riffing is very catchy (is riffing the right word? let's pretend it is) and I like how the pretty chorus (which for some reason reminds me of the Beatles) keeps the listener involved in the song. The chorus is also a neat counter-balance to the more strange segments within the song. I wouldn't say it's dissonant - just kind of odd in it's rhythm-making.



Clearly, I won't be writing for Pitchfork anytime soon but you see where I'm going here .. this mini-album is good stuff. See for yourself, and if you like it Black Francis is on tour RIGHT NOW in the states through I believe late July. I just saw him perform in Santa Cruz last night, and it was killer. It helped inspire the writing of this review, actually."