Alternative rock icons Pixies are massive. Since the mid 80s they’ve been a household name, and now in 2024 they’re back with their new album The Night The Zombies Came. Following up on 2022s Doggerel, the band feel reenergised and have a new sense of purpose.
The Night The Zombies Came is the first Pixies album to feature new bassist Emma Richardson. Her contribution is noticeable throughout the whole record with her driving bass lines featuring heavily. Richardson also features vocally, often providing harmonies with lead vocalist Francis Black shining on tracks like ‘Mercy Me’, while also having her own lead moments.
Balancing soft and heavy songs throughout the album, you will one minute be met by acoustic guitars before a distorted lead guitar cuts through and kicks the song into life. While the overall tone might lean more into acoustic than electric tones, that’s not to say there isn’t a lack of outright rockers. ‘Johnny Good Man’ and Oyster Beds’ have the band turning everything up taking you back 40 years.
As with any Pixies record, one of the best parts is Joey Santiago’s guitar. Instantly hooking you with beautiful lead hooks, you’re reminded as to what makes any Pixies song so good. Whether it is electric lead lines slicing straight through acoustic rhythm or solos that make you hold onto every note, Santiago shows just why he is so good.
Perhaps the best song on the album, it ends with ‘The Vegas Suite’. Now there’s ending on a high and then there’s this. In just under four minutes, you’re treated to the distortion/acoustic combo that works so well, the soaring harmonies and the Ziggy Stardust-esque guitar tone – what else could you could want? Perfectly capturing the tone of the album, it could’ve been used to open the record but it is an even better closer.
The Night The Zombies Came is distinctly Pixies. Capturing the essence of a band that has been around for nearly 40 years within 13 tracks, the album feels fresh yet familiar. While they may not be changing the course of alternative rock like they once did, Pixies yet again show why they are still at the top of the alternative rock scene.
