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8.5
16514
8.5 |
BBC
Seamless and polished, unhurried and regularly wonderful, Blonde Redhead are sparkling with a new-found black beauty
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8.0
16515
8.0 |
NME
Though lacking standout tracks, this is an icy masterclass in how synths should sound
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8.0
16509
8.0 |
The Irish Times
As idiosyncratic as before but more intimate – think edgy, shoegazing dream pop. Blonde Redhead has finally come of age
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8.0
16510
8.0 |
The Skinny
With barely a guitar in sight, Penny Sparkle, represents the next step in a bold metamorphosis for Blonde Redhead
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7.0
16511
7.0 |
Prefix
Longtime fans should be challenged to hear the band's growth, while new listeners are implored to seek out past works for comparison
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7.0
16506
7.0 |
musicOMH
Penny Sparkle will haunt your dreams and turn them into spectral ballads, becoming the soundtrack to dreamlike sequences of love gained and los
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7.0
16607
7.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Despite the strength of the record, their dedication to such sleepy atmospherics mean that they are likely to stay a niche act
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7.0
16637
7.0 |
Drowned In Sound
Penny Sparkle won't fulfill everyone's expectations, but few can argue it represents another stage in Blonde Redhead's audacious quest for development
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7.0
16713
7.0 |
No Ripcord
An interesting album, but more an album to appreciate rather than enjoy. It’s just such a shame it promises so much before lamely petering out.
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6.0
16878
6.0 |
PopMatters
The sense of mystery evoked on Penny Sparkle feels more cryptic and obscure than dramatic, with not enough bracing twists and turns to keep the record moving
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6.0
17697
6.0 |
Eye Weekly
It grows on you with each listen, even if it lacks the brilliant sonic trip of their previous two
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6.0
18144
6.0 |
The Quietus
The mimicry and awkward recreation on show is like those people talking in the cinema when all want to do is soak up the joys of widescreen delight
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6.0
18194
6.0 |
Blurt
Once you get accustomed to its sound, Penny Sparkle's dreamier moments, like guitars initially thought to be buried in the mix, reveal themselves
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6.0
16529
6.0 |
Consequence Of Sound
The style has changed to be certain, but in a way that feels too familiar, especially considering the cultural salience that bands like The xx have had in recent years
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6.0
16505
6.0 |
Spin
These masters of ethereal, swirling New York art-gaze try their hand at ethereal, swirling Scandinavian electro
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6.0
16512
6.0 |
The Fly
It’s nice, but too one-paced to truly enrapture
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6.0
16516
6.0 |
Mojo
Those searching for a grown-up version of The xx will rejoice. Print edition only
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6.0
16518
6.0 |
Uncut
Cocteau Twins, MBV and Angelo Badalamenti are obvious touchstones. Print edition only
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5.0
16525
5.0 |
The Digital Fix
Moments of interest like the Bjork-y title track, but they're few and far between. This penny has lost its lustre
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5.0
16530
5.0 |
Tiny Mix Tapes
While Penny Sparkle might constitute yet another step forward on the band’s musical journey, it’s not one that I feel compelled to follow them on
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5.0
17074
5.0 |
Rave Magazine
Buy this one only if you’re a completist
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4.5
16722
4.5 |
Bowlegs
Let’s just hope ‘Penny Sparkle’ is just a blip on the band’s CV
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4.0
17682
4.0 |
Eye Weekly
Call this Bland Redhead
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4.0
16644
4.0 |
The Guardian
Often the melodies here are just too slight to leaven the icy production job by Swedish duo Van Rivers and the Subliminal Kid
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4.0
16507
4.0 |
Pitchfork
You're left to wonder whether 2010 will produce a more profoundly boring album from a band who actually had a reputation to uphold
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4.0
16520
4.0 |
Q
Given the strength of their earlier work, Penny Sparkle is a big letdown. Print edition only
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