‘Doggerel’, in its hospitably decanted way, is every bit as transportive and absorbing as the early records, and further proof that Pixies’ music remains the alt-rock gold standard. Swill it around and savour.
If we can now safely conclude that the Pixies are unlikely to hit the heights of early days, then let’s face it, it’s the rare mortal who can; but it’s also the only slightly less rare mortal who can make albums as solidly good as this one. [Oct 2022, p.30]
Doggerel pushes the boundaries of what a Pixies album can be, but not aggressively -- quite the opposite, in fact. The peaks may not be quite as high as they were on Beneath the Eyrie, but it's still a lot of fun to hear the band's reinvention.
If you’re expecting this album to be Surfer Rosa part 2 30 years later from musicians in their 50’s you’re going to be disappointed and youIf you’re expecting this album to be Surfer Rosa part 2 30 years later from musicians in their 50’s you’re going to be disappointed and you should just move on and the same goes for people who think “no Kim, no deal”, you should move on, too. If you’re a fan of good music you should give this record a spin. Charles Thompson has been writing great songs, without interruption, for his entire career, and this collection of songs is one of his best. The band, 3 albums into their current lineup with Paz Lenchantin on bass, is incredibly tight and complimentary. Charle’s voice is in superb form and his vocal interplay with Paz is as interesting and beautiful as anything he and Kim ever recorded. The album kicks off sounding very much like a track off Surfer Rosa then branches out in all the different directions Charles has been exploring for the last 3 decades. The music is mature, powerful, grand, and never boring. We get hints of the Beatles, The Who, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, and I’m even picking up a little Neil Diamond. The record is packed with little delicious nuggets of rock and roll goodness. The one constant in all of Charles Thompson’s music is that it takes a few listens to sink in and reveal its true glory, which is why the Pixies weren’t popular until after they broke up in the early 90’s. If you are going to give this record a try, give it at least 3 listens straight through. Your effort will be rewarded. Truly some of the best music to come along from anyone in a long time.…Expand
Consistently great album. Highlights include Vault of Heaven, Dregs of the Wine, Get Simulated, Who's More Sorry Now and the title track.Consistently great album. Highlights include Vault of Heaven, Dregs of the Wine, Get Simulated, Who's More Sorry Now and the title track. There aren't really any bad songs on here, the band sound like themselves and I'm glad! Happy that they're still releasing music.…Expand
I have to say, I’m pretty confident this is the best of the Pixies 2.0 albums. The first listen or two may wash over you a bit, but anythingI have to say, I’m pretty confident this is the best of the Pixies 2.0 albums. The first listen or two may wash over you a bit, but anything by Charles Thompson usually takes a few listens to worm in. This is a great record. It’s basically Frank Black and the Pixies at this point, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that. It has a lot of Bossanova style mid tempo chuggers on it, but there are plenty of surprises, and repeat listens keep revealing new sounds, accents, touches, and insights. I love it. Hopefully we get more of the fabled 40 songs written for this session in the near future. Great stuff.…Expand
I am going to round down my score and give this a 7, but if I could I would give this a 7.5 out of 10. You obviously aren't going to beI am going to round down my score and give this a 7, but if I could I would give this a 7.5 out of 10. You obviously aren't going to be getting the same sound they were producing back in the 90s, and it's pretty clear this isn't coming back.
If you are a fan of their faster paced songs, then you most likely won't like this record. It is pretty mid-tempo through the entire thing. I think this is a step up from their previous record, which had a lot of forgettable tracks considering how much better the singles were. Graveyard Hill is probably still their best song since they came back, in my opinion.
This album feels very flat and uniform at times, they don't really try to experiment with different sounds anymore ever since fans & critics alike hated on "Indie Cindy" and "Head Carrier".
For me, highlights would be "Vault of Heaven", "There's a moon on", "You're Such a Sadducee", "Doggerel" and "Pagan Man". If you just want a pixies record for the sake of listening to them, then this record is for you. if you're looking for something new, you will be disappointed.…Expand
The kind of album that I forget about almost the second I put it on.
Fine for background "muzak", but sad to say Pixies have turned intoThe kind of album that I forget about almost the second I put it on.
Fine for background "muzak", but sad to say Pixies have turned into little more than a perfectly alright Frank Black cover band. (And I'm one of the few people who rather liked Indie Cindy!)
Shame, but one can't bemoan those with a legendary legacy still wanting to write and record new material. This certainly isn't the sound of a band "selling out"; but, rather, the sound of a band settling into their own comfort zone and refusing to budge one inch outside of it.…Expand
Here's the current top user comment for this album on Metacritic: "We get hints of the Beatles, The Who, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, andHere's the current top user comment for this album on Metacritic: "We get hints of the Beatles, The Who, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, and I’m even picking up a little Neil Diamond." Shame we get no hints of the Pixies.…Expand
Another 'mixed bag' from Pixies unfortunately. There are some really good tracks at the beginning and towards the end of the album, but theAnother 'mixed bag' from Pixies unfortunately. There are some really good tracks at the beginning and towards the end of the album, but the mid section is mostly totally forgettable making no impression whatsoever. Best tracks: Nomatterday; Vault Of Heaven; Pagan Man; Doggerel…Expand
