Bluefinger
by Black Francis

Album details

US: 11 September 2007 on Cooking Vinyl
UK: 3 September 2007 on Cooking Vinyl

The Pixies frontman’s first solo album under the name Black Francis (the others were recorded as Frank Black) is, as the name-change would suggest-his most Pixies-esque solo recording to date. The album was written as a tribute to the late Danish artist and musician Herman Brood, and it includes a cover of a Brood song.

BUY THE CD:

The critical consensus

Before you get too excited, let’s get one thing straight: just because Bluefinger is his most Pixies-sounding solo album doesn’t mean that it’s a Pixies album. In fact, All Music Guide says "it’s still far closer to his work as Frank Black than to anything he did with the Pixies." Mojo, however, declares that "it is twisted and tormented in the best Pixies tradition," while Rolling Stone labels the disc "his youngest-sounding and most Pixies-ish solo album" and Uncut concludes that it "sounds more like the Pixies than any of Francis’ other solo albums." The BBC says that while it’s "as visceral as anything he’s ever recorded," the album as a whole "represents all the best elements of Frank Black/Black Francis/Charles Thompson’s career."

Hot Press agress that the album is probably a blend of all aspects of his career, and calls Bluefinger "probably the sprightliest solo collection of songs he’s recorded to date," while No Ripcord praises it as "far and away the finest record Frank Black has produced in a long time." NME is just happy to have Black Francis back: "After years in the dark, this is a slice of Black gold." MusicOMH concludes that the disc is "a simple, accessible and enjoyable album of rock and blues by a formidable artist rediscovering his scream while maintaining his cultured songwriting abilities." Pitchfork opines that the album is "good, not great," with the drawback being the production, which it deems "unfortunately dry and straightforward, with little in the way of post-production add-ons or reverb– this has never served Black particularly well, and there are stretches where the music sounds bland because of the depthless recording approach." And Prefix determines that "Bluefinger is catchy in spots but ultimately forgettable."

Witty, rough and to the point - Black Francis has undeniably still got ‘it’… if there ever was any doubt.

- Steve Bushell, Gigwise

Review roundup

Tracklisting and media

1. Captain Pasty
2. Threshold Apprehension
   
3. Test Pilot Blues
4. Lolita
5. Tight Black Rubber
6. Angels Come to Comfort You
7. Your Mouth into Mine
8. Discotheque 36
9. You Can’t Break a Heart and Have It
10. She Took All the Money
    
11. Bluefinger

Also on the web

• Official Artist Site