Opening with “Here Sometimes,” Penny Sparkle distinguishes itself from early Blonde Redhead albums.
Hazy and sensual, it fits right in with the likes of Mazzy Star and Beach House. “My Plants Are Dead” in particular, beautifully utilizes a simple pop beat, with Interpol-like guitars. Songs like “My Plants Are Dead” and “Everything is Wrong” are shimmering studies of melancholy yet are remarkably poppy. Rather the songs here are incredibly evocative of torment, wistfulness, and, for lack of a better descriptor, a dreamy floatiness. On that note, I can hardly see how Penny Sparkle could be faulted for making tracks that are aimless. This claim is rather dubious since conjuring a mood or atmosphere with a song is, in a way, aiming for a specific idea. In researching for this review, I stumbled upon several articles that pointed to the band’s disinterest in making songs with “specific ideas or messages,” instead favoring tracks that evoke particular moods and dreams. Reminiscent of New Romantic bands of the ’80s, this album is a stunning effort, if potentially divisive.Īs with 23, Penny Sparkle favors wispy washes of synths and breathy, ethereal vocals that weave together to create a deeply romantic mood. With incredibly precise and sharp production, Penny Sparkle is their most pop-friendly album yet. The trio continues on that track on their latest effort, Penny Sparkle. The last time we heard from Blonde Redhead, they were slowly embracing high gloss production values on 23 to less than stellar effect by some critics’ measure.
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