"23" is a ten-song stroll through a candy store of swirly, girly dream pop. Arpeggios ring, basslines pulse, sultry percussion bounces along, and vocalist Kazu Makino coos and breathes in your ear as the album flashes quickly by.

Fans of loud, brash guitar rock may be quick to dismiss "23" as new age perfume-counter nonsense, but for indie pop fans that yearn for the lush hooks and effervescent vocals of BELLY or even MARISSA NADLER, this could be your holy grail. Drummer Simone Pace's creativity reveals itself over repeat listens in ridiculously catchy piano / guitar hook-fests like "Heroine" and melancholy wanderings like the MAZZY STAR-ish "My Impure Hair". The echoey groove of "SW" (complete with essence-of-BEATLES horn swells) is practically impossible to chase out of your head. Even if you've heard previous BLONDE REDHEAD discs, this one is worth investigating, if for no other reason than to gawk at how easily they've moved from skronk to top-notch dream pop. It's a double-dipped sonic sundae.

- Marchman

OFFICIAL SITE: www.blonde-redhead.com

RELATED ITEMS: No related articles at this time.