Head Carrier
Head Carrier is the sixth studio album by the Pixies, released on 30 September 2016. It followed Indie Cindy, the band's 2014 comeback record, and it was the first Pixies album to feature Paz Lenchantin on bass. She had joined in 2014 to tour that earlier record. The title nods to the cephalophore, a saint depicted carrying his own head, and St Denis of Paris in particular.
Tom Dalgety produced the album, which was recorded at RAK Studios in London. It brought a new producer and a new bassist to a band that was well into its second act, so it's a good one to hear if you want to know how the Pixies sounded in the 2010s. Lenchantin's arrival changed the line-up, and this is where you can hear it first. It sits between Indie Cindy and Beneath the Eyrie in the band's catalogue.
Head Carrier: tracklist, credits and charts
12 tracks · 33:50Tracklist
- 1Head CarrierPixies and Black Francis3:37
- 2Classic MasherPixies and Black Francis2:37
- 3Baal’s BackPixies and Black Francis1:54
- 4Might as Well Be GonePixies and Black Francis2:48
- 5OonaPixies and Black Francis3:37
- 6TalentPixies and Black Francis2:11
- 7Tenement SongPixies and Black Francis2:57
- 8Bel EspritPixies and Black Francis3:12
- 9All I Think About NowPixies, Francis, Lenchantin3:07
- 10Um Chagga LaggaPixies and Black Francis3:00
- 11Plaster of ParisPixies and Black Francis2:06
- 12All the SaintsPixies and Black Francis2:41
- Produced by
- Tom Dalgety
- Recorded at
- RAK Studios (London)
- Recorded
- February–March 2016
- Mixed by
- Tom Dalgety
- Mixed at
- Psalm Studios
- Engineered by
- Tom Dalgety
- Labels
- Pixies Music, Pixiesmusic, PIAS
- Length
- 33:50
Line-up
- Black Francis · guitar, lead vocals
- Paz Lenchantin · bass guitar, lead vocals
- Dave Lovering · drums (drum set)
- Joey Santiago · guitar
Singles
- “Um Chagga Lagga” · 6 July 2016
- “Tenement Song” · 5 September 2016
- “Classic Masher” · 24 November 2016
- “Bel Esprit” · 17 March 2017
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 2016 | 7 |
| US Billboard 200 · 2016 | 72 |
| Belgian Albums (Flanders) · 2016 | 5 |
| Scottish Albums · 2016 | 5 |
| French Albums · 2016 | 12 |
| Dutch Albums · 2016 | 13 |
| Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 2016 | 14 |
| New Zealand Albums · 2016 | 20 |
| Portuguese Albums · 2016 | 21 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 2016 | 23 |
All 15 charts
| Spanish Albums · 2016 | 23 |
| Irish Albums · 2016 | 31 |
| German Albums · 2016 | 32 |
| Swiss Albums · 2016 | 32 |
| Austrian Albums · 2016 | 37 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 30 September
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The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 30 September 2016 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 30 September 2016 | |
| Wikidata | 2016 | |
| Deezer | 30 September 2016 | |
| US release | 30 September 2016 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 30 September 2016 | earliest UK or European date |
7 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | XE | Pixies Music | 5414939943317 | other |
| 2016 | RU | Pixies Music | 4650075211748 | other |
| 30 September 2016 | XE | Pixies Music | 5414939941115 | original |
| 30 September 2016 | XW | Pixies Music | 5414939941122 | original |
| 30 September 2016 | JP | Hostess Entertainment Unlimited | 4582214514871 | original |
| 30 September 2016 | XW | Play It Again Sam | 5414939941139 | original |
| 30 September 2016 | US | Pixies Music | 5414939941115 | original |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · native: native 1500x1500
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1500×1500 | native: native 1500x1500 |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |