23 (Blonde Redhead album)

23
Studio album by Blonde Redhead
Released April 16, 2007 (2007-04-16)[1]
Genre Dream pop, nu-gaze
Length 43:23
Label 4AD
Producer Blonde Redhead
Blonde Redhead chronology
Misery Is a Butterfly
(2004)		 23
(2007)		 Penny Sparkle
(2010)
Singles from 23
  1. "23"
    Released: April 2, 2007
  2. "Silently"
    Released: May 28, 2007
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The A.V. ClubA−[4]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[5]
The Guardian[6]
Mojo[7]
Pitchfork Media7.0/10[8]
PopMatters8/10[9]
Q[10]
Spin[11]
Stylus MagazineA[12]

23 is the seventh studio album by Blonde Redhead. Released on April 16, 2007, it debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 at number 63, selling roughly 11,000 copies in its first week.[13]

Background

The album is the first the band self-produced, with additional assistance provided by Crowded House-producer Mitchell Froom on two tracks, "Silently" and "Top Ranking". In a press release accompanying the album, the band members acknowledged their goals to be more spontaneous in their song-writing, to aim for simplicity and clarity, and to create additional tensions. Drummer Simone Pace said he found it nerve-wracking to enter the studio with only loose ideas for songs. Singer Kazu Makino admitted it "wasn't an entirely enjoyable experience. Without a producer, a referee, we could really get on each other's cases. It got intense."

The bandmates admitted that until they reached the mixing stage they were unsure what direction the album was taking.

Simone said it "sounds fresh because we are exploring new things. We get tired of doing the same thing all the time, so we search for other things to do."

The music video for single "Top Ranking" was directed by Mike Mills, and guests director/writer/actress/artist Miranda July as the main, and only, character. At the start of the video it says "One pose per second." Following that we view July for the duration striking a different pose every second, creating the effect of a living statue.

The track "23" was also used in a trailer for the British TV series Skins in February 2008, an ad for Crystal Geyser in May 2008 in Japan, and an episode of Grey's Anatomy. The song "Spring and by Summer Fall" was used in the introduction to an October 2007 episode of the CBS series Numb3rs. "23" also appeared on the internet and television commercials for the 2009 Pontiac promotion entitled "Experience Pontiac."

Artist Alex Gross created the album's cover art, "The Tragedy".

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "23"   5:18
2. "Dr. Strangeluv"   4:47
3. "The Dress"   4:00
4. "S.W"   4:35
5. "Spring and by Summer Fall"   4:15
6. "Silently"   3:57
7. "Publisher"   4:01
8. "Heroine"   4:11
9. "Top Ranking"   3:27
10. "My Impure Hair"   4:52

Singles

Chart positions

Weekly

Chart (2007) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] 52
Belgian Alternative Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] 34
French Albums (SNEP)[15] 77
Italian Albums (FIMI)[16] 30
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[17] 196
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 100
UK Albums (OCC)[19] 152
US Billboard 200[20] 63
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[20] 4

Year-end

Chart (2007) Position
Italian Albums (FIMI)[16] 194

References

  1. ↑ "The official website for independent record label 4AD.".
  2. ↑ "Reviews for 23 by Blonde Redhead". Metacritic. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  3. ↑ Phares, Heather. "23 – Blonde Redhead". AllMusic. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ Matos, Michaelangelo (April 24, 2007). "Blonde Redhead: 23". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (April 9, 2007). "23". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  6. ↑ Simpson, Dave (April 13, 2007). "Blonde Redhead, 23". The Guardian. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Blonde Redhead: 23". Mojo (162): 110. May 2007.
  8. ↑ Bosler, D. Shawn (April 11, 2007). "Blonde Redhead: 23". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  9. ↑ Carey, Christian (May 1, 2007). "Blonde Redhead: 23". PopMatters. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Blonde Redhead: 23". Q (250): 123. May 2007.
  11. ↑ Gross, Joe (April 2007). "Blonde Redhead: 23". Spin. 23 (4): 86. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  12. ↑ Colville, Liz (April 11, 2007). "Blonde Redhead – 23 – Review". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  13. ↑ Katie Hasty, "'NOW' Remains No. 1 As Bright Eyes Debuts High", Billboard.com, April 18, 2007.
  14. 1 2 "Ultratop.be – Blonde Redhead – 23" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  15. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Blonde Redhead – 23". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  16. 1 2 "2007: Altri Albums" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  17. ↑ "23" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  18. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Blonde Redhead – 23". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  19. ↑ "CHART: CLUK Update 28.04.2007 (wk16)". zobbel.de. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  20. 1 2 "23 Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 1 July 2014.

External links

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