Newly freed from the Pixies and what had become a difficult atmosphere, the erstwhile Black Francis released a solo album that crackled with sardonic energy. Not a million miles from the Pixies last effort, ‘Trompe Le Monde’, it boasts deadpan alt.pop gems like ‘I Heard Ramona Sing’, the bristly Latin-tinged speed punk of Brackish Boy and the chunky, shiny ‘Fu Manchu’ with its chugging riffs and nagging horn hook. The new wave-y cover of The Beach Boys’ ‘Hang On To Your Ego’ is another belter.