Frank Black and the Catholics : Dog in the Sand

Mr. Black has jumped in the way back one for this one, bypassing the Pixies and everything else related to it. He’s gone back top the day of The Rolling Stones and brought it back to the present, even uttering the line “show me the way to come / zugzwang got me in a way / under my opposing thumb” in the song “Robert Onion.” An ode to The Stones? Who knows. The sound is rootsy, bluesy pop that is sparse in parts and features piano/organ flourishes in others, but is all pretty basic in its structure and presentation. While it’s certainly not going to blow anybody away, there are some wonderful moments, like the emotional “The Swimmer” that could certainly make it into a mixed tape or the heart and mind of a sentimentalist like me.