In an Expression of the Inexpressible

There are songs that just capture you, and you can’t resist finishing. Whatever the preoccupations of the moment - whether it’s that insatiable ear searching for new music, or something you hear on the Internet on the way to something else – there are songs that are too engaging to allow for any interruption.

This was precisely the case when we first heard the title track “23,” by Blonde Redhead. When trying to describe the song through other bands, we usually cite (the momentarily fritzy) New Order and Asobi Seksu. We conveniently became interested in New Order a few months before hearing that song, and it was the first flavor that presented itself. Not so much the intermittently cringe-inducing lyrics and new wave dance-ability of the New Order from the ‘80s, but that combination of shoe-gaze groove and lively drum/instrument conversation that reinvented itself in the ‘90s. As for the Asobi Seksu comparison, both lead singers are Japanese, sing in similarly accented English, and have beautiful, mesmerizing voices. Reason enough.

And that was precisely the thing that makes “23” so good; its atmosphere and textures are mesmerizing to the point that you just lose yourself.

Lost in all this talk of one song, their album with the same name, 23, has been one of the more overwhelmingly positive and well-received so far this year. The rest of the songs contain more of the same that can be heard in previous work. There are less quirky bits and pieces of Sonic Youth soundscapes, but everything is still pleasantly off-center. And yup, there’s that mesmerizing stuff. But somehow, it comes off as more relevant, not so much a gazer but something that knows how to feel.

Also, among last-minute notables are the vocals of guitarist Amedeo Pace, who could manage lead-singing duties on his own, shining most in “Spring and by Summer Fall.” If 23 shows anything, it’s a band that’s hitting second wind in their breakthrough stride.

Take a listen to both songs mentioned here.

Blonde Redhead with Beach House
Fillmore at the TLA
Tues, 8/7/07, 8PM
$15.00

Image Credit: Beggars Publicity