Following an album as majestic and innovative as
23
would be a hefty challenge for any band, so
Blonde Redhead
went in a very different direction with
Penny Sparkle
. Intricate, volatile guitar work has been the mainstay of
's work since the beginning, even when nearly everything else about their music changed. This time,
Amedeo
and
Simone Pace
Kazu Makino
pare the guitars down to a bare minimum, letting the electronic flirtations on
develop into a full-blown romance. Though it's not the most drastic revision the band has made over the years -- comparing
's
Touch & Go
output with their
4AD
work is almost like hearing the work of two unrelated bands -- it's one of the most initially jarring. Though the band had explored its more delicate side for nearly a decade by the time
was released, at first, it doesn't seem like the album's spare beats and synths can support its melodies. With time, however,
's collaboration with producers
Alan Moulder
Van Rivers
the Subliminal Kid
is just as rewarding in its own fine-boned way as their earlier work.
"Here Sometimes"
makes the most of
Makino
's one-of-a-kind vocals; she still sings in a dialect all her own, hovering somewhere in between Japanese, English, French, and alien, and the song's limpid electronics bend to her reverie.
"Not Getting There"
is the closest
gets to a pop song, and one of the few times the guitars rise above a murmur. From there, the album just gets sparer and more experimental -- the title track is little more than
's lonesome voice and a dubby beat -- but this approach suits these songs about daydreams and escape.
"Love or Prison,"
which sets one of the album's most beautiful melodies afloat on arpeggiated keyboards and percussion that sounds like rattling chains, is a subtle standout; the same could be said of
"Black Guitar,"
a complicated love song that ranks among
's finest duets. They get a little too close to trip-hop for their own good on a few songs, and their widescreen drama is missed occasionally, but
is still another beautiful reinvention for
. ~ Heather Phares