Black's second album with the Catholics, and the third recorded in a live-in-studio, minimally overdubbed fashion, Pistolero witnesses the gelling of a band - which makes this an improvement over last year's fine self-titled Black/Catholics release. A back-to-basics approach works only to the extent that the musicians work well together and they have something to play. They have - playing with a ferocity, directness, and unity of purpose - and they do, since Frank Black's trademark rhythmic and melodic quirks give these songs both strength and interest. Although he's never been a great lyricist, on this album Frank Black strikes a fine balance between taking his lyrics too seriously and merely throwing them away. He's singing mostly inspired nonsense here - but he knows it, and that's okay. It helps, too, that he sings with more energy and less affectation than he has since his Pixies days. If this album had a slogan, it would be the title of one of its songs: "I Want Rock & Roll." No hyphens, no -cores, no trendy movements, this is four guys with guitars, bass, and drums, hammering out sturdy but cunningly designed songs whose functionality only gradually reveals the quirky personality behind them.

Artist
Album Title
Song Title