The “song about a superhero named Tony” (“Tony’s Theme”) was the most lighthearted song the Pixies had recorded, pointing the way to their more overtly playful, whimsical work on Doolittle. But even Surfer Rosa’s less iconic songs reflect how important the album was in the group’s development. For each blazing piece of punk, there are softer, poppier moments such as “Where Is My Mind?”, Francis’ strangely poignant song inspired by scuba diving in the Caribbean, and the Kim Deal-penned “Gigantic”, which almost outshines the rest of the album. But, like the black-and-white photo of a flamenco dancer on its cover, Surfer Rosa is the Pixies’ most polarized work. Albini’s high-contrast dynamics suit Surfer Rosa well, especially on the explosive opener “Bone Machine” and the kinky, T. On songs like “Something Against You”, Black Francis’ cryptic shrieks and non sequiturs are backed by David Lovering and Kim Deal’s punchy rhythms, which are so visceral that they’d overwhelm any guitarist except Joey Santiago, who takes the spotlight on the epic “Vamos”. One of the most compulsively listenable college rock albums of the ’80s, the Pixies’ 1988 full-length debut Surfer Rosa fulfilled the promise of Come on Pilgrim and, thanks to Steve Albini’s production, added a muscular edge that made their harshest moments seem even more menacing and perverse.
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