Indie Rock Review: Pixies-EP1/EP 2

Release Date: September 3, 2013/January 13, 2014

Label: Independent

Website

After an extremely influential, but far from financially successful, career that lasted from 1986 to 1993, the Pixies “reunited” in 2004. It was widely understood that the original four members put their previous issues aside in exchange for some lucrative touring income. The results pleased many fans that never had a chance to see the band back in their heyday, but it did not result in any new, original material from the band apart for one single, “Bam Thwok.” Then in 2013 bassist Kim Deal decided to leave the band and shortly thereafter the band released a new single “Bagboy.” Two EPs have since followed, EP1 and EP2 , with a studio musician covering bass duties for Deal. 

As a big Pixies fan, I was pretty excited when the band reunited so I could finally see the band perform the material I loved. The rumors about potential new material persisted for years, and I hoped they would remain rumors since I expected that none of the new material would ever be as good as the previous releases. I enjoyed most of what came out of Frank Black and Kim Deal’s other ventures, but a lot had changed over the years. Especially now without the essential Deal in the band, it would be really hard for the Pixies to meet my, and many fans expectations.

So now that I have heard both of these new EPs, am I disappointed? I’m not, but they aren’t a return to form either. I suppose I expected them to sound more like Black’s more recent work since he is the most influential member of the group (especially now). The first two tracks of EP1 fall more into this line of thinking. They are pretty underwhelming. I would have put “What Goes Boom” first and “Indie City” second on the EP. They are both more reminiscent of the bands earlier work and would have put a better taste in my mouth for the reintroduction. They’re still not as good as previous songs, but if they were bonus tracks on a re-issue of an earlier album from those sessions I wouldn’t have been all that surprised.

EP2 on the other hand is more promising. What I like about it is pretty much what I had originally feared the most. While it sounds more like Frank Black than it does Black Francis, it does sound like a more mature Pixies. We can’t ignore the fact that that the members of the band have matured over 20 years and on songs like “Magdalena” and “Greens and Blues,” it works for me. While I still don’t love the new material, it’s better than EP1 and if the band continues this trajectory, it just might work in time.

Ultimately, would I rather these two EPs never existed in the catalog of the Pixies? Yeah, probably, especially since I found everything else to be pretty great. I do think that if they would have made one EP with 5 songs instead of these two it would have been better received though. Most reviews I have seen have been less than kind, but they do tend to agree in the improvement from the first to the second. It sounds like the Pixies are going to continue to release more down the road, and hopefully this progression continues. Still, if the band is to have any chance of releasing an album of similar quality to those they did prior to their hiatus, I would find it difficult without Kim Deal influencing the process.

EP1 2/5 Stars/EP23/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Indie City, What Goes Boom, Blue Eyed Hexe, Magdalena

Kevin Kozel 
                                                                                                  

January 30, 2014

Tracks:
EP1
1. Andro Queen
2. Another Toe In the Ocean
3. Indie City
4. What Goes Boom

EP2
1. Blue Eyed Hexe
2. Magdalena
3. Greens and Blues
4. Snakes

Review Provided By Write A Music Review

Indie Rock Review: The Lonely Forest-Adding Up the Wasted Hours

Release Date: December 17, 2013

Label: Trans/Chop Shop Records

Website

Anacortes, WA. This is where The Lonely Forest is from, and they are damn proud of this. Most critics would consider them a Seattle band… or a Northwest band if they wanted to be even more general, but the boys from The Lonely Forest are definitively from a town about 75 miles north of Seattle. Their love for their hometown is not only a part of them, but a big part of what makes their music so genuine as well.

The Lonely Forest is a quartet comprised of John Van Deusen (guitar/vocals), Eric Sturgeon (bass guitar), Braydn Krueger (drums), and Tony Ruland (guitar). Adding Up the Wasted Hours is the bands fourth album, and it was produced by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla. This pairing seems to be an excellent fit for the band given their affinity for making indie rock tunes while wearing their hearts on their sleeve, much like Death Cab.

I was turned on to The Lonely Forest by my now wife after moving to Seattle back in 2010. They seemed quite young when we saw them and had already been at it for five years. They were also getting ready to release their third album, Arrows. Arrows is an excellent album and grew on me greatly as I listened to it, and I highly recommend it to anyone that does not have it.

Adding Up the Wasted Hoursprogresses nicely from where Arrows left off. For lack of a better term, it’s still rather “emo” lyrically. The songs are personal and honest, and that continues to be a large part of the bands charm. Van Deusen comes off as relatable to many of us and if you connect with him it’s hard not to root for this band. Songs like “Lovric’s” and “Last Time (I Said Your Name)” make this very easy.

I still prefer Arrows to Adding Up the Wasted Hours however. There were more moments when the band really rocked out on it, where this one stays a bit more pop. Van Duesen has a scream that I love, but it is underused in the band’s catalog, and is nonexistent on this album. The closest they come is on “Fire-Breather”. The Lonely Forest replaces the rocking moments with experimental growth though. Tracks like “Neon Never Changes” and “Stars Like Dust” work and provide an interesting sense of direction for their next release. I just hope that we get some of the heavier moments back next time as well.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Lovric’s, Fire-Breather, Last Time (I Said Your Name)

Kevin Kozel

January 17, 2014

Tracks: 1. Pull the Pin and Forget 2. Lovric's 3. Fire-Breather 4. Left Hand Man 5. Neon Never Changes 6. Last Time (I Said Your Name) 7. Adding Up the Wasted Hours 8. Soundings In Fathoms 9. Lavender Dress 10. Warm/Happy 11. Stars Like Dust