You really couldn't expect a band that is known for its lyrical nihilism and lack of genre identification to abandon its original style for mainstream approval. Naturally, you'd expect it to do just the opposite. In the case of Blonde Redhead, whose large indie fan base embraces the band's uniqueness, unpredictability is something they strive for.
Maintaining an appearance of musical whimsicality has always been Blonde Redhead's art form, and it is clear band members felt inclined to keep it up in 23, their newest album. Of course, to Blonde Redhead, which now has seven notches on the released-albums belt, unpredictability and whimsicality are just creative slip-covers for very calculated sound delivery.
Since the band formed in 1993, Blonde Redhead has been known for the eerie-sounding yet delicate soprano vocals of Kazu Makino in contrast with the distorted guitar and unique drum rhythms of Italian brothers Amedeo and Simone Pace.
Over the years, Blonde Redhead has made a few adjustments to its style. Redhead became famous for the original rhythm textures of its first six albums. After a four-year break from the music scene due to the severe injury and trauma Makino suffered from being trampled by a horse, Blonde Redhead came back in 2004 with a lot more melody mixed with emotionally-relevant lyrics with Misery is a Butterfly.
23 is consistent with the more-melodious style Redhead's developed over the years, but with attempts to put equal weight on rhythm texture. The outcome is catchier numbers with unique elements that you haven't heard Blonde Redhead use before.
For example, in "SW," horns simulated by keyboard can be found as an interlude that sounds as if it were made for the listening enjoyment of kings and knights in the Middle Ages. Quickly the interlude returns to a previous snare/high-hat beat that carries the voice of a lonely-sounding Amedeo Pace.
In contrast, "Silently" is a sweeter, more upbeat melody in which Makino's voice is suspended over a steady electronic-sounding rhythm but still with a subtle hint of its usual eeriness.
As in past albums, Makino's vocals are still utilized on the majority of the songs with the occasional inclusion of Pace's more assertive vocals as found in "SW," "Spring and by Summer Fall" and "Publisher."
Indeed, Blonde Redhead is just as careful in 23 to maintain the trade-off between Makino's distant eeriness and Pace's whining alto vocals as it's been in its previous six albums. But for the first time, the band has connected the lyrical themes of Makino and Pace while maintaining the drastic difference between the sounds of their voices.
23 expresses the emotional resignations of both Makino and Pace, whose lyrics both speak of failed relationships. This is best found in "SW" for Pace who sings a chorus of "it's not who you kill / but it's who you left" and "Heroine" for Makino who sings of being left behind every time her lover "takes a trip."
The lyrical aspect of 23 is consistent and thematic. The textures are varied and exploratory. It is the most tactfully innovative album Blonde Redhead has released so far in their career.
It is a diverse and interesting album that demonstrates in equal parts the band's lyrical sophistication and musical inventiveness. If you're a long-time fan of the group or a new listener who is open for something different to add to your musical repertoire, 23 is definitely worth checking out.
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