Abbabubba

It’s not easy keeping track of the post-Pixies output by the prolific Black Francis (a.k.a. Frank Black) but it sure is fun. Though the material on Abbabubba has never been formally released a few of the tracks have been available before on Francis’ official website. Still, it’s great to have all of this in one handy compilation. Some of the tracks are demos of songs included on other albums (“Rabbits,” “Dead Man’s Curve,” “Get Away Oil”) and some are mature, fully realized tunes that somehow never found a proper home despite their quality (“Serious Curious,” “Polly’s Into Me,” the title track). There are even three separate and distinct remixes of “The Seus” by Infadels, Charles Normal, and Bloc Party. The bulk of this collection is made up of stripped-down song sketches in which the focus is clearly on Francis’ hooks, jagged guitar riffs, and quirky vocals with “Il Cuchaiao,” “Alabaster,” and “The Water” definite highlights. Abbabubba is a must for Black Francis fans.