Despite a near-decade-long hiatus, the Pixies have been working at producing music for the Alternative Rock scene for twenty-seven years in total. One of Alternative Rock’s more unique acts, the New England-based act has made an impact domestically and even more globally. Reunited now for twenty years, going back to 2014’s Indie Cindy, three more albums followed, leading up to 2024’s The Night the Zombies Came. Released on October 25th through BMG, smooth guitar playing and dreamy melodies round out the band’s ninth overall studio album for the Pixies.
Continuing the band’s long run in the music industry, this is the first album the Pixies have released with new Bassist Emma Richardson. Playing originally for Band of Skulls, she has received high praise from Guitarist Joey Santiago and Producer Tom Dagerty, seemingly making her a solid fit. She is also the third bassist for the Pixies in their lengthy history, however, was not part of the album when the songs were being written. Despite this, her skillset helps round out the band who was desperate to fill a spot after Paz Lenchantin left earlier this year. Richardson came in during the tour celebrating 1990’s Bossanova and 1991’s Trompe le Monde; where she got her chops to play and mesh with the band. With this in mind, she was not credited for a song until they released the single “You’re So Impatient,” which is second on the tracklist for The Night the Zombies Came.
Looking deeper into the Pixies’ past, it has been filled with both highs and lows as the band expanded or lost members, all while trying to morph their sound and solidify what they wanted to be. Swaying from a punkier momentum into the Shoegaze scene and back again with plenty of other stops, with every album there seems to be a song for everyone. While this is the case, in many ways, their punchier songs draw greater attention to them. Looking at this, 2016’s Head Carrier was exciting in many parts because of this; feeling like a demi-rival to 1988’s Surfer Rosa and their hit “Where is My Mind.” This sound was thanks to Joey Santiago’s surf guitar which chillingly accompanied Kim Deal’s vocals.
With Deal gone, the sound has obviously shifted to the male vocals of Black Francis, but this is something that the band seems to have taken in stride. Using lower scales to sing and spacier sounds to accompany the baritone sound, the newer music cannot be considered Dream Pop, but there is an open atmosphere with some of the same qualities. This is where The Night the Zombies Came shines the most. For example, songs like “Primrose,” “Chicken,” and “Kings of the Prairie” have a chill yet impactful guitar on them that pushes Francis’s vocals into something greater than just the voice of an older man. They give him some dramatized melancholy in the same vein as Morrissey’s solo work.
To take a closer look at The Night the Zombies Came, a deep dive into “Hypnotised” feels necessary. A song that has many elements that reverberate through the whole album; from funky sound effects and punchy staccato singing to David Lovering’s beat creating drums that let Richardson shine on the bass. It has mundane lyrics that do not shy from being melancholy, however, there is a cool section in the middle with some low vocals, and for the most part, Francis almost sounds sour when singing “Is anybody out there.” This is fixed by the launching points where the guitar soars and the background female vocals provide a rainbow of sound. Furthermore, it is riddled with spooky speech from hexes to hypnotism, and is about loneliness over anything else. The fifth track, it encapsulates what the Pixies are doing; creating some dreamy sound backed up with grounded vocals and drums then switching to a crisp guitar that invites you to sit and jam for a while. This oscillation from noise Pop to Alt-Rock is tied up by a surf guitar that magically works into the picture.
Although, this is only part of The Night the Zombies Came; because the other half is given to that spikier Punk Rock sound the Pixies have retained. If you are looking for that, skip to “Oyster Beds” and “Ernest Evans”; two songs that are a time capsule to the ’90s and are pumped full of energy. Simply put, they exhibit what the Pixies can do if the stars align, but they feel a little out of place in a rather calm synth-heavy, moody album. Leading a large portion of the sound to be mundane and slushed out, what changes this in places is Santiago’s guitar which puts that surf spin on the sound. What the songs need, Santiago’s playing gives the band a little piece of California sound. Mellowing out the intensity and tugging on the ears of those who like some reverb and a little distortion, it is recommended to check out “The Vegas Suit” with a killer ending that creates a vacuum of sound.
Overall, The Night The Zombies Came has many strong songs and some masterful guitar-playing skills that help create a soundscape worth the title. A quieter release with some interesting sound that invokes Bossanova in places and Surfer Rosa in others, this is a mixed bag that a fan will enjoy, and a newcomer can appreciate. That is why Cryptic Rock gives The Night the Zombies Came 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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