The Pixies - Trompe Le Monde (Vinyl)

The title might be French for "fool the world," but with Trompe Le Monde, the Pixies weren't fooling anyone: this was essentially Black Francis' solo debut. It focuses on Francis' sci-fi fascination and lacks any Kim Deal songs; even her backing vocals are far and few between. Yet the band sounds revitalised on Tromp Le Monde, as if it were planned as their last hurrah.