Black Francis - Nonstoperotik

Black Francis
Nonstoperotik
(Cooking Vinyl)
Rating: 3.2 out of 5


Only the second album of his solo career to carry the name of his old Pixies tag, Black Francis; Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV picked up a new band, an old guitar, and reemployed producer of several Frank Black and the Catholics’ albums, Eric Drew Feldman, to put to tape ten thematic new originals and one rousing cover. The package deal is called Nonstoperotik; a rousing astrological interpretation of love and sex. Yes, sex. Black Francis is back to brass tacks.

The record takes bends a little less sharply, and that is what distinguishes it from Pixies’ work. This is not at all different from other irons Thompson has pulled out of the fire during his solo songsmith-ing. It is gratifying, however, to hear him write about the sensual side of love again, now with twenty years of age added.

“Lake of Sin” kicks things off with a stomach-churning chord structure and guitar-chugging buildups. Almost too soon, Nonstop slips in energy with a couple of soft crooners. “O My Tidy Sum” does reap the benefit from some seesawing keyboard string synths. The comeback is in the form of the mildly rocking rendition of the Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Wheels”.

The next few sound a bit flimsy in production for being so intendedly rock-driven. Thompson yowls on “Dead Man’s Curve” with that same quality throatiness. “Six Legged Man” sets forth from the introductory dedication and has Black Francis spitting short lines on the mic in a wild party of double-time hi-hat, kick, and bass line thump.

The lines of “Wild Son” pay homage to typical Pixies-like marriage of sexuality and creed. And, then we have Thompson’s ode to oral sex, “When I Go Down On You”. There is a strange McCartney moment late in the second verse when one can hear a sung melody that could be resolved by the chorus of “Band on the Run”.
The title track, the acme of Nonstop’s power, courses with desperation—an intensely passionate plea for carnal knowledge. With its ‘verse, then a solo’ arrangement, the piano ballad segues into the descending flat-fifth arpeggios of the excellent tribute to the underground, “Cinema Star”.

These songs are more mature and reflective. Lacking the same kinky explicitness of Pixies’ classics like “Is She Weird” or “I’ve Been Tired”, the new material on Nonstoperotik breathes somewhat languidly on the fleshy topics. Not to knock—after all, Thompson did just turn 45.

Cinema Star - Black Francis

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...and in support of Black Francis' 45th birthday yesterday, Happy Belated Birthday!!

Levitate Me - Pixies