What happens to 80s alt-rock stars when they grow up, get married, and settle into suburbia? Wither away into anonymity, take their kids to soccer practice and reminisce about the days when they didn’t give a fuck? He may live in Oregon, but Black Francis, front man of the iconic 80s band the Pixies (attributed by Kurt Cobain as one of Nirvana’s major influences), refused to vanish from the scene and decided to make the punk life a family affair. Joined by his wife Violet Clark, Francis’ latest venture comes in the form of Grand Duchy and their debut album, Petits Fours. The nine-track suite is all about experimentation: evolving leaps and bounds from song to song, it’s hard to find any moment that seems redundant or clich’ on this record. Rather, the two are able to draw out the best of the 80s synth-driven punk-rock that the Pixies perfected, adding in a healthy dose of hard-hitting, thrashy numbers alongside songs of a softer kin.

Describing their musical soundscape as ‘garage rock synth chick non-stop erotik poussez-poussez,’ it’s easy to see that this duo is keen to escape labels. Album opener ‘Come On Over to My House’ and ‘Black Suit’ feature a snarling Francis, howling over pounding beats and thrashing guitars, balanced by Clark’s ethereal, syrupy vocals. Grand Duchy’s hype started thanks to a leak of ‘Fort Wayne,’ a trippy number featuring Clark whispering French and a catchy chorus of ‘la la las.’ The strongest songs on Petits Fours belong to the rock legend’s wife, like the standout ‘Seeing Stars’ a dreamy track, featuring a softer side of Clark, whose vibe is more punk and sass on songs like ‘Lovesick.’ The album may not be the most cohesive collection of songs, but it’s infinitely entertaining, delicate and precise in its construction, and a solid debut from a couple we can only hope to hear more from.

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