I started Mental Jukebox nearly three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic. During this time, I’ve discovered new music, rediscovered old favorites and I’ve met passionate music fans around the world. And when things opened up, I kept on blogging. This month, the jukebox goes deeper. The term “deep cut” has multiple meanings. It can refer to lesser known album tracks from well-known artists. It can also refer to tracks from lesser known artists. This month, I’ll be featuring both types. #DeepCutsFeb
By Trompe Le Monde, the Pixies were past their prime. But they were still true to their identity, refusing to cave in to the direction of the sounds that surrounded them. The Pixies are the influencers, not the influenced. The kings of quiet-loud-quiet, loud-quiet-loud, and all their variations. They were forerunners to the grunge movement. And yet their music is unusually resilient, holding up year after year, decade after decade. And there’s no better place to start than one of the deep cuts from Trompe Le Monde, “Motorway To Roswell”.
A bit more melodic and poppier than we were accustomed to hearing from The Pixies, “Motorway To Roswell” was as tame (song reference intended) as the band got. Black Francis gives the screaming and howling a rest, and sings in a way that gives the melody more power. But this is no softie. Santiago’s guitar still lights up like a three-alarm fire. While Trompe Le Monde may not be their piece de resistance, I find myself tipping my proverbial hat to originals like “Motorway To Roswell” more so than the covers.