Pixies - Trompe le Monde

Trompe le Monde was the Pixies' fourth full-length album and it would also turn out to be their last. After its release, tension between band members led them to embark on separate projects, eventually resulting in the band ceasing to exist. The primary reason for the break-up was probably the dissatisfaction felt by Kim Deal. The last two albums had seen an end to her input and while there’s no doubt that it was Frank Black who was driving the Pixies’ success, it would no doubt have been frustrating for Kim, a talented singer/songwriter herself, to just remain idle. On top of this, the hectic pace at which they were operating, releasing album after album and touring fairly non-stop, meant that a break down was almost inevitable. Trompe le Monde sees a continued evolution of Black’s lyrical content. While on the early albums he was fascinated by the violence of early biblical stories, the later albums saw him more focussed on sci-fi and supernatural elements. While personally I couldn’t care less what he sings about, it has been known to turn some people off. The sound of the album is a mix of their various sounds, which is fitting for a finale. While many songs continue the softer sound of Bossanova, others pay homage to louder, rough sounds of Surfer Rosa. Unfortunately however, it bears another similarity to Bossanova in that it too fails to reach the same level of brilliance as the Surfer Rosa and Doolittle. Instead it is just great. Yes, you know you’re dealing with a special band when their lesser records are still considered great. And so the Pixies’ career ended without them releasing a bad album. Their existence may have been brief but in that short time they had an incredible impact that lasts to this day.

U-mass – While Trompe le Monde may not be the best Pixies album, that doesn’t stop it from containing some of their best songs. This song is very similar to their early work and it is one of the first Pixies songs I ever heard.

Distance Equals Rate Times Time – This song isn’t even really a song. It’s an unused chorus from another song turned into a song. And yet despite this, I am always drawn to it.