FRANK BLACK & THE CATHOLICS
Dog In The Sand (Sonic Unyon)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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God bless Frank Black. Even though his recorded output since dismantling the Pixies in mid success has been spotty, uneven and generally misunderstood, Black has continued to wrestle the rock demon in a most admirable manner. So it is with great pleasure to fully endorse his latest offering as something of a cohesive whole. A record that indeed hearkens back to the controlled explosive that was The Pixies. Maybe it's the return of Joey Santiago for guitar duties, maybe it's Black's middle age crisis, maybe it's the mescaline ... who knows? Who cares? The record's a dandy, appropriating blues, country and good old fashioned rockinroll. Among the many flavours nicked are the Rolling Stones ("I've Seen Your Picture"), Gun Club ("Bullet"), and Roky Erickson ("Robert Onion"). A good mix, it's actually an alt. country record, complete with sneaky slide guitars and some honky tonk piano. Frank has worn many hats in his day, now he dons a cowboy one. The best part of the new look is the tunes, which brim with biting hooks, and prove Black still has the gift to write fabulous songs. Yahoo!

© 2001 - John Sekerka