‘Wave of Mutiliation’: The most “un-Pixies-like” song in their catalogue
How do you accurately define a band like the Pixies? Maybe by the impact of their “loud quiet loud” technique, or perhaps by the mammoth success of their signature hit, ‘Where Is My Mind?’. By the off-putting songwriting of Black Francis or the basslines of Kim Deal? By their impact on the bands that followed? We could most definitely define them as one of the most essential bands in the alternative rock sphere, as well as one of the most boundary-averse.
There are many ways to attempt to define the Pixies – from their dynamic instrumentation to their unorthodox lyricism – but if we’re to abide by the words of musician-turned-magician David Lovering, ‘Wave of Mutilation’ isn’t one of them. Though the song featured on the band’s seminal sophomore album Doolittle, the Pixies drummer once deemed it their most “un-Pixies-like” track.
Lovering described the track as “gentle and dreamy”, implying that Pixies’ sound more often veered into the inverse, into sonic brutality. If we’re to define Pixies with this harsher side of their sound, it’s easy to see how ‘Wave of Mutilation’ was a diversion from it. It’s far more willing to give into surf rock and even pop-punk influences, though it retains that distinctive Pixies edge.
Though the track may be soft and sonically “un-Pixies-like”, it maintains the band’s characteristic lyrical darkness. Beneath those dreamy melodies, Black Francis repeats the titular idea of a “wave of mutilation”. He once told Select that the tale was inspired by “the phenomenon where Japanese businessmen were putting their whole family in the car and driving off the dock”.
Francis takes on this persona in the song, vowing to drive his car into the ocean and sail away on a wave of mutilation. There are words and moments in the song that evoke violence, but there is also an underlying sense of peace as he walks along the sand, kissing mermaids as he goes.
This strange sense of calm is only enhanced by the dreamier soundscape that surrounds his words. The song may sound gentle upon first listen, willing you to look past the violence of the word “mutilation” and the act it describes, but beneath, it’s a story just as dark as those that pervade the rest of the band’s catalogue.
While Lovering may have described ‘Wave of Mutilation’ as “un-Pixies-like”, it’s still a staple in their catalogue. The song may be slightly softer than some of their other work in its instrumentation, but it’s just as brooding and brutal in its subject matter.
Revisit ‘Wave of Mutilation’ below.
