Blonde Redhead – Misery Is A Butterfly

Blonde Redhead has often been compared to Sonic Youth, but on Misery Is A Butterfly they’ve forged a new, darkly romantic sound. Many of the songs are built around a video-game-synth palette of sounds and intricate drum tracks, but the coldness is tempered by gorgeous, string arrangements by Eyvind Kang, best known for his work with Bill Frisell. As usual, vocal duties are shared by Kazu Makino and Amedeo Pace, and one of the great pleasures of the record is hearing the contrast between their voices. Pace’s strained, paranoid tenor sounds trapped inside the music, while Makino’s soprano, like a tight-rope walker, balances high above the seething mass of sound.