Blonde Redhead: Penny Sparkle | CD review

(4AD)It's a long time now since Blonde Redhead abandoned their guitar-heavy, art-punk beginnings in favour of poised, atmospheric synth-pop. No bad thing when it led to the delicate sophistications of their last album, 23; but on Penny Sparkle that delicacy begins to sound strained and thin. There are exceptions – Here Sometimes and Everything Is Wrong do gain traction on repeated listens – but more often the melodies here are just too slight to leaven the icy production job by Swedish duo V...

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