The Most Accessible, Hook-Ridden Album of the Pixies' Classic Era: Bossanova Includes "Dig For Fire" and "Velouria"

Mastered from the Original Analog Tapes: Mobile Fidelity's Out-of-Print, Numbered-Edition Hybrid SACD Plays with Definitive Sound

The opening instrumental to Bossanova makes it clear that the Pixies weren't about to take the same crazed approach on their major-label debut as they did on their initial standout efforts, 1987's Surfer Rosa and 1989's Doolittle. More straightforward, linear, fluid, subtle, and dreamy, Bossanova finds the band exploring pop structures, dropping psychedelic accents, and satisfying surf-rock urges. While it often verges off-the-beaten path, particularly for mainstream tastes circa 1990, the set is the most accessible and hook-ridden record the Pixies ever made.

Black Francis' surreal narratives and breathy delivery flavor tunes like "Is She Weird," "Velouria," and "The Happening," all of which sonically and/or lyrically tie into themes of aliens and sex. Macabre fixations and noisy outbursts take a backseat to tunefulness, putting a spotlight on Joey Santiago's underrated guitar work and Kim Deal's complementary back-up vocals. Recognizing the changes, producer Gil Norton bestowed Bossanova with spacious dynamics and wide-open arrangements that allow the music to breathe.

The analog masters for Bossanova had been missing for 18 years before finally being located in 2008 in the WEA tape archives in Los Angeles. Mobile Fidelity's numbered-editiomn hybrid SACD marks the first time that the original 1/2-inch analog master tapes have been used since Bossanova was originally released in August 1990. At long last, the staggering dimensions of the Pixies' canyon-wide soundscapes and three-dimensional atmospherics of their nuanced vocals are faithfully reproduced.