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From the time of The Pixies’ reunion in 2004, rumors circulated that the band may be working on recording new material. After nearly a decade of off-and-on touring, it seemed as though new Pixies music was not in the cards, particularly when considering the seemingly “business-only” relationship between band members (as awkwardly chronicled in the 2006 documentary loudQUIETloud). What makes the release of “Bagboy” even more surprising is its timing, hitting the Internet just days after Kim Deal formally and abruptly announced her resignation from the group. Whether there’s an album’s worth of material in the can, or whether the band will continue on without Deal is anyone’s guess at this point.

I was always a bit uneasy about the possibility of new Pixies material. They had a fantastic run in their initial string of four albums (I’ll willingly defend Trompe le Monde and Bossanova). But could they recapture the creative dynamic decades later? “Bagboy” situates itself in the middle of the road. It isn’t awful, and it certainly doesn’t hold a candle to any of the group’s classic material. On first listen, it seems to try too hard to update the Pixies sound (interesting in and of itself given that much of the band’s classic work has avoided dating itself). Frank Black does engage his patented vocal shout, but in general the song seems to overstay its welcome for what it accomplishes. Take a listen below, and let us know what you think in the comments.