Albums to watch

Penny Sparkle

Blonde Redhead

Penny Sparkle

Eighth studio album from New York dream pop trio

ADM rating[?]

6.0

Label
4AD
UK Release date
13/09/2010
  1. 8.5 |   BBC

    Seamless and polished, unhurried and regularly wonderful, Blonde Redhead are sparkling with a new-found black beauty
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  2. 8.0 |   NME

    Though lacking standout tracks, this is an icy masterclass in how synths should sound
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  3. 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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  4. 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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  5. 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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  6. 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. 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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  8. 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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  9. 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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  10. 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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  11. 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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  12. 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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  13. 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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  14. 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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  15. 6.0 |   Spin

    These masters of ethereal, swirling New York art-gaze try their hand at ethereal, swirling Scandinavian electro
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  16. 6.0 |   The Fly

    It’s nice, but too one-paced to truly enrapture
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  17. 6.0 |   Mojo

    Those searching for a grown-up version of The xx will rejoice. Print edition only

  18. 6.0 |   Uncut

    Cocteau Twins, MBV and Angelo Badalamenti are obvious touchstones. Print edition only

  19. 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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  20. 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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  21. 5.0 |   Rave Magazine

    Buy this one only if you’re a completist
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  22. 4.5 |   Bowlegs

    Let’s just hope ‘Penny Sparkle’ is just a blip on the band’s CV
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  23. 4.0 |   Eye Weekly

    Call this Bland Redhead
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  24. 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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  25. 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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  26. 4.0 |   Q

    Given the strength of their earlier work, Penny Sparkle is a big letdown. Print edition only


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Blonde Redhead: Penny Sparkle

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  • 3. Will There Be Stars £0.89
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  • 5. Love Or Prison £0.89
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