PREFACE: Whoaaaa it's been a while! Been absolutely swamped between work and school and haven't had a chance to update this place in a while. Well, time to change that. Been meaning to do some writing and uploading of recent drawings/art projects/etc for a while now. Without further ado......
Blonde Redhead: Penny Sparke
Album of the Year? Maybe. If not that, certainly the most beautiful. One thing I can say for sure is that Blonde Redhead's latest will undoubtedly make it into my 2010 list of favorites. First and foremost, I'm no authority on the band: I know they've been around for a while and have a ton of albums I have yet to listen to, but their last 2 LPs (2007's "23" and 2004's "Misery Is A Butterfly") were outstanding. As such, I was really looking forward to "Penny Sparkle." Once I found out Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid produced it - who also took production reigns on Fever Ray's debut - I couldn't wait. With that said, I'm happy to report that they transferred all the brilliant synth-tastic nuances of that album over to "Penny Sparkle." The combination of BR's finely honed songwriting with Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid's detailed studio trickery is a college art student's dream.
Every song, from opener "Here Sometimes" to the goosebump-inducing "Spain" are rich with ethereal melodies, subtle guitar lines, layered percussion, and all manner of electronic magic. The anchor to every track however is singer Kazu Makino. Despite her noticeable accent, Makino's voice strikes an incredible balance between her powerful melodies and extremely delicate vocals. This is apparent on every song she sings on. The 2 tracks where she doesn't take lead, "Will There Be Stars" and "Black Guitar" (sung by guitarist Amedeo Pace) are still excellent - "Black Guitar" in particular, where the two alternate on the verse and chorus, is one of the best on the album: the melancholy mood sounds like some something Lennon or McCartney might've written on one of their darker days.
Similarly, the emotionally stunning "Love Or Prison", the album's centerpiece, leaves quite a lasting impression. The amount of space in the mix allows every sound and instrument to coalesce beautifully, the wide open feel reflective of the lonely subject matter. Listen to this one in the dark.
Yet, amongst all the amazing tunes, the closer "Spain" would have to be my favorite. The emotional intensity reaches a peak here - it's sad, triumphant, and empowering without ever missing a beat. Few bands can reach into me and settle so comfortably across different feelings, but Blonde Redhead are one of them.
The only song that doesn't stand out to me is the title track. It's not bad by any means but it lacks the memorable instrumentation of everything else on the album. As tempting as it is to review each individual song, just know that the album is perfectly balanced in its running order: it starts strong, stays strong, and ends even stronger.
This album will make your heart cry, but that makes it no less addicting.
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