Doolittle Review: Quiet-Loud Alt-Rock at Its Best

9/10 — Pixies - Doolittle (1989)

Doolittle was produced by Gil Norton and polished the Pixies’ sound without losing its strangeness. It was a big influence on Nirvana and others.

What works

‘Debaser’, ‘Here Comes Your Man’ and ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’ are brilliant, and the loud-quiet-loud dynamics are used with real flair. Black Francis’s shrieks and Kim Deal’s backing vocals are a great combination.

Where it falters

The lyrics are oblique and surreal, and a couple of the shorter tracks pass quickly.

Verdict

A sharp, quirky and hugely influential album.

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By Noah Miller