Before they started gazing at their shoes and finding their flighty, dream-pop sound in a host of TV and movies, NYC’s Blonde Redhead was definitely a noisier proposition. Their first two albums were released on Steve Shelley’s Smells Like Records in the mid-’90s, and here the long-out-of-print releases, along with a variety of demo tracks, singles and radio showcases, get the Numero Group’s thoughtful and thorough treatment. There’s a smart mix of driving, pulsating rhythms and slashing, angular guitar comprising much of their early style, a sound fans interested in their history and its documentation will definitely be drawn toward.
And Numero absolutely makes it worth the while with a collection of rare photos and essays propping up the package. Blonde Redhead’s early sound, however, can be a tough grasp as an “artistic” (read: meandering, kitchen-sink writing style) aesthetic sometimes derails the excellent juggling of downtown noise and heads-down rock of the band’s more focused moments.
—Kevin Stewart-Panko
