Blonde Redhead

Blonde Redhead offers a reassuring message for bands transitioning from no-wave and post-punk to the melodic possibilities beyond: Making prettier music doesn’t necessarily mean mellowing out, or losing a certain creepy depth. The trio has long abandoned the guitar noise of its 1995 self-titled debut, but hasn’t lost itself to the dance- or synth-pop clichés that seem to lurk in indie-rock’s shadow these days. Each album from 2000’s Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons to this year’s Penny Sparkle is a subtle new phase within a grander scheme built on Kazu Makino and Amedeo Pace’s commanding but unmistakably strung-out and forlorn vocals. While 2007’s 23 mastered filling, sleek shoegaze, Penny Sparkle finds a balance between Blonde Redhead’s lavish and spare tendencies, and relies less on guitar than any album before it.

Updated 07/07/2011