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It is never fun, but is always compelling.
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The bristling energy that once held would-be sympathizers at bay has been turned inward, resulting in an unprecedented illusion of warmth.
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Despite the increased emphasis on production, like Blonde Redhead's entire catalogue, the chirping, child-like cords of lead vocalists Amedeo Pace and Kazu Makino act as the essential ingredient to the bands avant-garde concoction.
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It's not just the vocals that captivate. The sheer busyness of the whole production and all the sounds are to be marvelled at, and though it would be easy to over-egg, they never allow any of the tracks to be cluttered or overblown.
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Repeated listens... reveal the album's complexity and highlight how far the band has come in the four years since their last release.
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The album's soft-focus allows Blonde Redhead to explore its relatively newfound romanticism more deeply than before... but with less tension between the fragile and harsh aspects of the band's sound, its soft-focus occasionally drifts into lack of focus.
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Like an air-bushed Slint re-emerging with Stereolab as their chief influence, Blonde Redhead engulf their guitars beneath so many keyboard tinkerings.
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The whole affair has a grandiose, almost decadent feel to it, with its damaged beauty and elegance.
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A bang-up mix of electronic song structure and guitar impressionism.
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Arguably the best album in their career.
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The expansion of their sound to include breathtaking strings and keyboards has proven to lift Blonde Redhead out of the post-rock mire and recreated them as a band finally worthy of their past praise.
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The album is something of a wash, packing a less potent dose of Makino but an extra kick of Pace.
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Deliberately slow in tempo, delicately arranged, emphatically "dreamy" in tone, Misery is a Butterfly is lovely, but also difficult going for Blonde Redhead fans.
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Blonde Redhead haven't run out of ideas, but Misery strips them of their eccentricities so thoroughly that the few that remain sound out of place.
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MojoThey've carved a bleak and beautiful album; their best, in fact. [May 2004, p.106]
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UncutIt works, mainly: though one or two songs could benefit from the old viciousness, these are seductive confections. [Apr 2004, p.104]
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UrbBlonde Redhead's most confounding element is also one of their most endearing. With her ethereal, paper-thin voice, [Kazu] Makino often slips frustratingly off-key. [May 2004, p.84]
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Q MagazineAn otherworldly, richly cinematic adventure. [May 2004, p.98]
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FilterMisery doesn't step forward so much as expand outward; roughly half of the album... sounds as if it could've been lifted off of Melody. The other half is purely visceral. [#10, p.91]
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Spin[Has a] swirling spy-movie ambience. [Jun 2004, p.108]
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Entertainment WeeklyDespite sounding derivative at times, Misery... further refines [their] volatile mix with a touch of fidgety elegance. [19 Mar 2004, p.65]
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The WireA rewarding new departure. [#242, p.72]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 23 out of 27
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Mixed: 1 out of 27
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Negative: 3 out of 27
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ToshiakiAMar 31, 2005These Critics don't know what they are talking about. This group and this album is a masterpiece. 50 my ***.
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Jun 25, 2021
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Sep 24, 2012