Pixies - 'You’re So Impatient / Que Sera, Sera'
Known for their emphatic cuts (“Debaser”), melodic crooning’s (“Where Is My Mind”), and whacky narratives (“Monkey Gone To Heaven”), American alt-rock band, Pixies have influenced some of the biggest bands (Nirvana, The Strokes, Weezer) and become a heavy staple of the indie rock soundscape. Despite multiple line-up changes over the years, breakups, reformations and changes in sounds, Pixies are still established as one of the greatest rocks bands to emerge from the 20th century, and after a six-year hiatus, released their eighth studio album “Doggerel”.
Two years on and the quartet have returned with their double-a-side single “You’re So Impatient / Que Sera, Sera”, a duo of tracks that’s a Hollywood zombie movie squished into a five-minute pairing.
Insistent drums and a heavy pace set the scene of “You’re So Impatient”, ramping up for the horror narrative set to ensue (“Who's gonna live? Who's gonna die?”). Speaking on the number frontman Black Francis notes: “‘You’re So Impatient” is a slightly comedic suburban culture moment: there’s this guy, there’s this gal, there’s this tug-of-love dynamic going on. But the backdrop is the mall. And while the mall is crass, it’s also a very zombie, rock ‘n’ roll horror movie setting”. The track does an incredible job of painting a picture (“We sat down at medieval town / And I ordered a box of wine”), with well-written refrains, high-octane instrumentation and infectious repetitive lyrics (namely, “You're so impatient”).
The latter of the two is a cover of the 50’s ballad, originally written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, but meeting critical acclaim through the Hitchcock flick “The Man Who Knew Too Much” by Doris Day. Performed with a dark twist, the cut is an eerie continuation from the previous horror-inclined track. The Pixies rendition features deep and crooning vocals in almost spaghetti-western fashion, the only alteration in being changing the gender of the lyrics. Kim Deal lends soulful backing vocals as Black notes with relief, “Qué será, será / Whatever will be, will be”.
This new duo of tracks from the legend status rock band is an interesting turn away from the more positive motives found in “Doggerel”, and piques intrigue for what’s next for Pixies.
Words by Lana Williams
