Artist: Blonde Redhead
Album: Misery is a Butterfly
Label: 4AD Records
Rating:
Reviewer: Jonathan Yost

I am so emo. This album is mopey, wispy, and dark. It goes on and on with long, drawn out melodies and airy voices. I can't get enough of it. Kazu Makino and Amadeo Pace trade turns churning out melancholy stories about love, misery, and everything in between.

Makino's airy voice calls for you to lay down, curl up, and listen. On Melody, she asks "Why did you kill that poor old man, melody?" Melody responds that "he was never good to me, he was never kind to me." To Melody, such trespasses warrant such retributions. It's melodramatic, yes, but beautiful none the less. The soft but quick percussion done by Pace's twin brother Simone make the song seems hectic, while the droning melody keeps you from getting too agitated. Pace, however, has a voice that does not ask for you to listen, but demands it. He goes on in the next track, Doll is Mine, to state that "Mine, is an act of love, Mine is a wish to solve, and mine is to sing by your side." The feeling that a desperate man is going through desperate measures to achieve what needs to be done. That is the theme of the album, desperation. Desperate times, desperate measures from desperate people.

There are times, however, where the desperation seems to fall away, but these times are few and far apart. On Falling Man, Pace frantically calls to find himself, but only perceives him as falling. No ground, no stability, just chaos, spinning and no control. So many people can appreciate these feelings. The words put out there for you to grab a hold of make it easier for those who feel this way. For all those who don't have a sense of self, this song reaches out and gives them a slight sense of security in that someone else feels the same.

I suppose I should get a little into the craftsmanship of the album and not just the overall atmosphere. As a recording student, I spend a majority of my time listening to instrument selection, recording quality and even the simple arrangements. All are done superbly on this album. Guy Picciotto did an amazing job with the extra orchestration that accompanies the band. The keyboard synths don't sound all new wave, but instead lend a hand to the aforementioned feelings of insecurity and desperation. The instruments are layered well, without having a sense of over-production. It's the songs that give the feel of the album, not an overabundance of instruments, voices and sounds all trying to grab your attention.

Overall, the album is a fantastic piece of art. It's dark, but not dreary. It is a beautiful set of songs created by an extremely talented trio of musicians. It is a bit tougher to find in record stores, but I did find it at TowerRecords.com and at Amazon.com. So, as you can tell, I love this album, but let me warn you, don't listen to it for prolonged periods, because it makes you all sorts of emo. I can't believe how emo I am right now. Jeesh.