Petits Fours

Grand Duchy | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Label: Take Me To The Hospital
• Copyright: (P) 2009 Grand Duchy under exclusive license to Cooking Vinyl Ltd
• Total Length: 37:10
• Genres:
• ASIN: B0026AUMU0
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,187 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grand Album!, May 24, 2009

By 

Tankery "Tankery" (New Orleans) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Petits Fours (Audio CD)

Frank Black and his wife, Violet Clark have released an incredible album of heavy electro dream pop, if you can fathom that from Mr. Black but Violet plays bass and synth and has a voice that falls somewhere between Emily Haines and Kim Deal, not as cloyingly innocent as Haines, not as barmaid too long Deal, but with an earthy sweetness that will blow you away on all the songs she sings lead.

This album is from top to bottom a great collection of synth pop bliss, with Black's gravelly voice and searing guitar accentuating the electronics so nicely it will blow you away.

It might very well be his most listenable album ever. Don't know where Violet Clark came from but her marriage to Frank brought out the best in him.

Let's just hope this continues...

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fruitful Collaboration, May 26, 2009

By 

Bruce Cruickshank (Chino Hills, Ca. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Petits Fours (Audio CD)

Frank Black is known for stream of consciousness lyrics punctuated with pulsating, disonant guitar tirades. In this collaboration with Violet Clark, Black has subordinated his assaultive tendencies to something rather evocative, even intimate while still retaining that trademark rogueish virility.

It is a remarkable departure yet it works superbly owing in large part to Ms. Clark's agile vocals, at times sensual, at times girlishly vulnerable, and her expressive, never excessive hand on the synthesizer. Violet Cark is a beguiling new talent and one can only hope that she and her iconic husband will revisit the musical terrain they have cultivated so fruitfully in this collection.

The 80's expired in a mire of pretention and baroque excess but Grand Duchy's use of certain 80's tropes has produced a collection of intensely imaginative yet visceral songs that will satisfy fans who want to rock as well as those who would rather sit back, listen and let their imaginations soar.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seeing Stars Again, August 11, 2010

By 

Divad Sitruc - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Petits Fours (Audio CD)

I am a long time Black Francis fan from the entire Pixies catalog through the Frank Black solo years up until about 2003. Frank Black's solo recordings started to become somewhat redundant and uninspired for me at that point. After the two-album release of "Black Letter Days" and "Devil's Workshop" in 2002, the recordings to follow seemed to lose my interest. I stopped paying attention for a number of years as to what he was doing and releasing. Though I was a bit late to catch on, my love was rejuvinated with the release of Black Francis first solo record "Blue Finger" and then the debut of Grand Duchy, his new recording project/band with wife Violet Clark.

Grand Duchy "Petits Fours" is an amazing 9-song album! Black Francis and Violet Clark are brilliant together with songs that are both inspired and fresh yet take me back to early Pixies and Frank Black solo records. My favorite tracks are "Come On Over to My House", "Fort Wayne", "Seeing Stars" and "Break the Angels", which split the lead vocal duties between Francis and Clark. The album also features some cool guitar work and tones by Francis with some killer keyboard/synth parts by Clark.

I have been reborn as a Black Francis fan and can't recommend this album enough!