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For what it's worth I've listened to Head Carrier 4-5 times now after grabbing the CD earlier today (it's midnight in Australia), and find it absolutely standing up to their back catalogue. Lots of great Frank melodies and vocal deliveries, lots of clever Joey parts.
I find it interesting that a couple of reviews I read made note of there being "too few left-turns", implying they're making more straightforward rock music. I didn't find that at all, I found a lot of the songs very detailed, harmonically adventurous, filled with lots of dropped bars and lead lines that no one but Joey would write over those chords.
I just wish they'd record with an aesthetic closer to Surfer Rosa or a lot of the Frank Black/Black Francis solo albums. That would get so many hacky music journalists off their back... just keep some missed vocal takes in the mix and double Joey's lead lines and pan them Left and Right, like Where is my Mind or Bone Machine and they'll have all the "left turns" they require.
But it would also be a more dynamic and detailed recording to listen to.
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