As The Pixies have become grandpappy to its third-generation spawn (as bassist Kim Deal's The Breeders have begat The Amps and so on), former frontman Frank Black has put his previous incarnation as Black Francis firmly behind him as he moves further towards recognition as a solo artist in his own right.
"Today at the New Morocco/I got kicked in the taco..." So begins one of the latest songs from a man who has publicly said that music journalists and fans make too much out of lyrical meanings. Though not as blatant or in-your-face as, say, They Might Be Giants, Black still has his share of ridiculous fun.
Indeed, Black has a knack for disguising some absurd ideas under a smooth and linear musical package. There's the peace-and-goodwill message embodied in "Mosh, Don't Pass The Guy," the corporate stab of "Men In Black," the downright nonsensical "The Last Stand Of Shazeb Andieeb," and the backhanded love song, "I Don't Want To Hurt You (Every Single Time)." Black can pull it all off without seeming too trite because the words are encapsulated in tight guitar rhythms and delivered in his signature style - not too harsh, not too soft, just perfectly palatable. Gone are the days of swallowing the microphone as he did in The Pixies, Black has certainly found his voice.
The Cult of Ray manages to be both a credible release and somewhat of a biting satire of some of today's self-absorbed alternative acts. After all is said and done, though, the burning question remains: just who is this Ray? Ray Bradbury, Ray Bolger, Sugar Ray...with Frank Black anything is possible. (Tamara Palmer)
