Black Francis - Bluefinger (Cooking Vinyl, 2007)

When I drink coffee, I become jittery and anxious. It is not a very pleasant experience; so, unlike a large portion of the population, I do not have the benefit of coffee to wake me up in the morning. Luckily, I find that rock'n'roll can give me just the jolt I need, and I'll be damned if Black Francis (aka Frank Black of the Pixies) hasn't delivered a super-venti sized jolt of rock'n'roll in the form of Bluefinger.
I have never been a huge fan of the Pixies. Of course, I have always known that they're a seminal band and I have a high regard for their recorded output, however, there are so many seminal bands out there, that it is impossible to keep track of all of them. Plus, I was a bit freaked out by the artwork on the Doolittle album - my young, fragile mind found that monkey to be quite disturbing. The point I am trying to make, is that I am not coming at this album from the perspective of a hardcore Pixies fan.
Bluefinger is one of the rocking-est albums of 2007, and, as if he still has anything to prove, Black Francis has put together an album full of great, catchy songs with all sorts of wild hooks. The track, Threshold Apprehension, has quite literally had me in a spin for a number of weeks now. Francis attacks the song with all the vigour of a man half his age, and puts to shame the many young rock posers who seem to be flooding the airwaves with their ever-so-slick garage-rock knock-offs these days.
If Threshold Apprehension was the only song on the album, it would be a winner; the fact that tracks such as the intentionally-sloppy Test Pilot Blues, the wonderfully titled You Can't Break A Heart And Have It, and the mellow Discotheque 36 - amongst many others - shine so brightly, make this album nothing if not vital.

Check Out: www.blackfrancis.net/

Sounds A Bit Like: Driving really fast with the windows down, screaming your favorite song at the top of your lungs.