Blonde Redhead - Misery Is a Butterfly
|
List Price: Our Price: $8.96 You Save: $8.02 (47%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.95 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Misery Is a Butterfly
Free Music Review: A defining moment for them
Hit: 4 Stars
You know those records that catch a band at their peak? The ones that come around where the planets are aligned and all is right in your world? It has happened to a lot of artists: Pavement's - Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, U2's - Joshua Tree and even something like Blur's - Parklife. Now I'm not comparing Misery is a Butterfly to those, just simply drawing a look to what is happening with the latest Blonde Redhead release. I really feel that this record is what they've been striving to achieve for some time now, the timing is indeed right. The planets are lining up and the music snobs are coming around as well.It is a beautiful record. The arrangements are lush the vocals are unique and well-mixed. The lyrics are thoughful and engaging. One can sense the craft that went into such a piece of work. My favorite tunes off Misery are the first two. Esp. the haunting, The Messenger, it has such style and grace, you'll be hooked from the opening bars.
It is hard to classify this record into a genre - but if I had to do it, I would throw it somewhere in the arena of lush-indie. The strings they use are more present and they really sound great throughout. They switch up singers to a nice flow. They use classical breaks and bridges one might find at an opera. There are a lot of things going on, all good.
Free Music Review: Excellent "Artsy" Album is Much Needed Fresh Air
Hit: 4 Stars
Someone lent me this album, thinking I would enjoy it, and boy, have I ever. It wasn't long before I bought the album myself. Disclaimer: I have not heard any of Blonde Redhead's other albums, so when I see the frequent references to Sonic Youth regarding BLonde Redhead's earlier work, I can only scratch my head, because this particular album sounds absolutely nothing like Sonic Youth, not even close.
"Misery Is a Butterfly" (11 tracks, 45 min.) instead invokes memories for me to past "sophisticated, artsy" music, for example not unlike Kate Bush but harder charging. Even a comparison to Sixpence None the Richer is not out of place, with rich melodies and textures throughout the album. Lead vocals on some songs (such as the excellent opener and first single "Elephant Woman" and also the title track) are by Kazu Makino, and she shines. On other songs Amadeo Pace sings lead, including on "Falling Man", my favorite song on the album, and on the equally ecellent "Doll Is Mine".
I can't emphasize enough how much I like this album. It provides some much needed change and fresh air in today's music scene. This surely will end up on my shortlist of favorite albums of 2004. Strongly recommended!
Free Music Review: Astonishing sonics and arrangements; questionable vocals.
Hit: 4 Stars
If they had the inclination, the three members of Blonde Redhead could probably be top-notch producers and arrangers for other artists.Kazu Makino and Amedeo Pace's whiny, thin voices are the stuff of headaches, sounding more breath than vocal cord, but luckily the band's instruments and compositions speak quite well. The band has a seductively unique melodic sense, and the arrangements on this record are just brilliant, a crazy melting pot of chamber music, Renaissance ballads, electronica, arena rock, European dance pop and avant garde. Drummer/percussionist Simone Pace also earns high marks for his varied, flavourful performances, such as the bare-bones tapping of "Equus", the ticking-clock rhythms of "Magic Mountain", and the romantic shuffle of "Messenger".
Again, I highly dislike the vocals on this record, but the glorious soundscapes behind the vocals are too good to ignore. Misery Is a Butterfly is like a This Mortal Coil record without the enchanting female vocals but with the eccentricity turned up several notches. If the band manages to draft a good singer (eg. Caroline Crawley of Shelleyan Orphan/Babacar) into its lineup, it would be unstoppable.
Free Music Review: 4AD's finest new players
Hit: 4 Stars
The music we love stands for the people who have created it . We collect articles about them , we try to somehow get to know them - we become hooked on their style and personallities . With that in mind Blonde Redhead are an instantly interesting group both visually and musically . One can't help but wonder what it's like to hang out with two twin Italian brothers and their japanese singer who create moody , raw rock music for the few .
On their newest offering " Misery Is A Butterfly " , their first with 4AD the band presents a tracklist full of melancholic guitar playing and dark-room melodies . There's a poisonous quality about Kazu's purr while Amedeo Pace's singing is rather neurotic but it all fits wonderfully well in this cd . Blonde Redhead have been around for years so some older fans argued about " the new softer , more atmospheric side " of the group but on tracks like " Magic Mountain " , " Falling Man " and " Elephant Woman " you'll clearly experience a band at the peak of their powers .
Free Music Review: Whoa.
Hit: 4 Stars
The only word to describe this album is 'wow'.
The first time I heard this band was at the end of the movie 'Hard Candy', and since then, I've been a fan. They've captured the perfect sounds of instruments and melodies, which make for a great album.
Most people may not like the sound of either of the band's singers, I dont like the male lead much either, but I think I've fallen in love with the female singer's voice.
It takes a little getting used to, but its worth it in the end.
Blonde Redhead are a perfect mix of electronica, rock & pop and theyre just the songs you'd want to hear whenever youre happy or depressed.
Best songs, I'd say were: Elephant Woman, Melody, Misery Is A Butterfly, Equus, Magic Mountain, and Maddening Cloud.
Definitely worth buying.