Blonde Redhead

Once upon a time Blonde Redhead was endlessly compared to Sonic Youth. They've now evolved so far beyond the work of their mentors, it's Sonic Youth who should be taking notes. Blonde Redhead's fifth album is oddly reflective of its title, Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons. While the strong use of melody dominates this work, the tunes are both touching and slightly skewed, ambling down peculiar sideroads that may previously have been relegated to dreams. Even the rocking tracks embody clever hooks while driving hard with tight punchy rhythms. In some ways, this album's uniqueness stems from its use of classic pop arrangements as points of departure, as if this trio of experimenters accidentally invented '60s psychedelic pop, free of all its associated baggage. The band still functions as a collaboration between Italian twins Simone and Amedeo Pace along with Japanese vocalist Kazu Makino, and their ability to compose through some kind of spontaneous telepathy is evident in the singular voice that resonates throughout each track. This new found focus not only makes this the best Redhead album to date, its also one of the best albums you'll hear this year.