Head Carrier

Pitchfork 5.5/10 While not as egregiously baffling as Indie Cindy, the latest from the ’90s indie icons is nonetheless a middling effort missing all kinds of dynamics the Pixies used to offer.

A.V. Club F Let’s start here: The Pixies sound happy. Head Carrier is decidedly upbeat, with rousing choruses, bright harmonies, and a touch of earnest longing. Credit newly minted full-timer Paz Lenchantin: “She’s awesome,” enthuses guitarist Joey Santiago in the album’s press materials. “Now, everything is just so light, we’ve…

The Line of Best Fit 5/10 Sadly, going into Head Carrier with anything more than a sliver of hope of it being vital will always result in galling disappointment.

Rolling Stone 3/5 Our take on latest from alt-rock grandees.

DIY 3/5 Pixies’ past remains a double-edged sword, but ‘Head Carrier’ is a step forwards.

The Independent 3/5 The week's new music releases rounded up

The Skinny 3/5 The Boston legends return with their second LP post-Kim Deal, but they need to rediscover their urgency if they’re ever going to match their early work.

Under The Radar 3.5/10 Where do we even begin with Pixies? We know they laid the groundwork for every important grunge and alternative band who succeeded them, while they also notoriously called it quits after just a few years and four nearly-flawless albums.

Clash 6/10 In this, the age of the cash cow reunion tour, a frustratingly small amount of the returning old guard is prepared to stretch to new material, most

The Observer 2/5 (Pixies Music/PIAS)

Slant 3/5 Enjoying the Pixies’s sixth album, Head Carrier, is mostly a matter of managing expectations.