Just as
Black Francis
'
Bluefinger
was a musical portrait of Dutch painter, poet, and punk rocker
Herman Brood
,
Frank Black
stays in a conceptual frame of mind with the mini-album
SVN FNGRS
, which draws inspiration from the Irish mythological figure
Cuchulainn
, who has seven fingers on each of his hands. Title aside, the album's references to
aren't often apparent, but what comes through loud and clear is how charged these songs are.
kicks off with
"The Seus,"
an instant classic in
Black
's catalog. Burly guitars, a stuttering rhythm, and layers of
's shouty vocals wrestle each other into a prickly, funky groove, updating the weirdness, smartness, and undeniable hooks of
songs like
"Los Angeles"
and
"Ten Percenter."
works his
Stooges
fetish harder than he has in years on
"I Sent Away,"
a song with jabbing riffs that rocks harder than anything on
did. Though the set only has seven songs (of course), it shows off
's range, with softer and more vulnerable songs like the sweetly ambling pop of
"Half Man"
"The Tale of Lonesome Fetter"
providing the yin to some of the louder tracks' yang. Song for song, this is one of
's strongest solo releases. ~ Heather Phares