[Davey]

Really enjoyed each of the last three, especially Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons which took some inspiration from that second side of Abbey Road, along with that Radiohead guitar vibe they've been fostering in the later releases. Pretty far gone from the early Sonic Youth sound, although I still like that too. Some cool little club vids on youtube of those early guitar freakout times. They've been moving further into the swirly pop sound of 4AD bands like the Cocteau Twins since moving to that label, especially on the songs by Kazu, but the Amadeo songs still rock more like the song-oriented side of Radiohead, and even Coldplay (but in a good way ).

Read a quote about that Melody ... album way back in the day that I thought was a pretty good description, so just looked it up again, although not sure it completely applies to this album, which is much softer overall than in the past, with not many sharp edges anymore ... but still pretty fine.

"Creating an alternate world as exotic as Radiohead but with actual songs that creep inside your dreams at night without calling attention to themselves or tripping any wires, Blonde Redhead arrives with a haunting reminder that pop can be catchy as hell without forsaking loftier artistic challenges." - Ed Masley, Post-Gazette


Here's the official vid of the title track from the new "23" ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7FqUNlEdwA

 

[zumaro]

I am really enjoying 23 as well - it continues the slide into the 4AD Cocteau Twins/Lush sound, with My Bloody Valentine hanging in there as well, but they do it so well. It all sounds like one of the better shoegaze albums for a number of years. Yes I miss the scattergun experimentation of La Mia Vita Violenta, but this is still very entertaining in its very polished way.

 

[welf]

this was the first album i have ever listened to by them i got it yesterday and i must say its beautiful

 

[Davey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zumaro /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am really enjoying 23 as well - it continues the slide into the 4AD Cocteau Twins/Lush sound, with My Bloody Valentine hanging in there as well, but they do it so well. It all sounds like one of the better shoegaze albums for a number of years.

Yea, kind of like MBV, except with drums and bass you can actually hear and feel

It is a very strong album, not really a weak track the whole way through, though at times I'd like to hear something with less going on thrown into the sequence, maybe more jagged and not full of backgorund sounds, with Amadeo and Kazu trading lines like they've done in the past. More lyrical. In any case, this should be a big album for them, but doesn't look that way around here. Definitely my favorite of the year so far, right there with Andrew Bird, but I haven't heard much either.

 

[DarkAngel]

Yesssssssssssssss.........
love new album "23" by BR and previous "butterfly" album, modern dream pop for vetran shoegaze fans to bask in the waves of sound and float away

Have also been really impressed with recent Silversun Pickups album, reminds me of prime Smashing Pumpkins material from Siamese Twin era, love it great alt rock album

 

[mwallace573]

I picked up "23" yesterday. Needless to say, I am blown away by this album! An extremely solid album all around, but for me the drumming stands out at the moment. After all the prog rock/metal I have been getting into recently, with all it's super fast and complex drumming, it's good to hear some just plain drumming that doesn't overwhelm you. I also love the main singer's voice (not sure of her name at the moment). Easily ranks up there as one of the best of the year so far.

Do any of their other albums have something similar to the same sound as this one, or is this their breakout album?

 

[Davey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwallace573 Do any of their other albums have something similar to the same sound as this one, or is this their breakout album?

I tend to like the Blonde Radiohead tracks the best, "Publisher" being my current favorite. The sound that reminds me most of Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons. But "Dress" is probably the song that best harkens back to the dark side of the last album, Misery is a Butterfly, and probably my favorite from the first half. A lot of people seem to talk about front loading the song selection, but for me some of the best songs flow through the second half, when the sound opens up more, not quite as layered in the production, and more diverse. And "My Impure Hair" is a near perfect closer, very stripped down by comparison.

But to your question, the last one has much the same sound, just darker. My favorite is still the one before that, starker and not as ethereal, but each is a unique and rewarding experience. Before that, they were a bit more noisy and dissonant.