The band have come full circle and kept going. Their commandeering vision here is just a respectful half-nod to the other specimens beneath the limelight.  Full text...

This album may be the first actual representation of Blonde Redhead on record. Where the band goes from this point only the members know, but 23 is one of the more enjoyable musical experiences I have encountered this year.  Full text...

Fitting nicely in with the rest of 4AD's discography, 23 is a highly recommended listen. It also is an interesting milestone for one of the most interesting bands working today.  Full text...

23 has the same hypnotic and captivating quality of the last two Blonde Redhead albums. This time around, though, the music isn’t quite as stunning. They sound relatively comfortable in their modern-day groove and don’t push the compositions into as many bold and challenging directions.  Full text...

t's an enthralling listen, proving once and for all that they deserve the wide success of fellow travelers like Radiohead and Sonic Youth.   Full text...

The number 23, heralded by many an occultist and rag-tag philosopher is often considered a magical number associated with change, the point in a series where new energy comes in to transform the pre-existing condition and change the trajectory. A pop example of these esoteric notions, sadly, may be beloved New York indie rockers Blonde Redhead's seventh full-length, 23.  Full text...

The muddy, unfocused production adds to a sense of missed opportunity. However, 23 has more than most seventh albums' share of otherworldly pop delights.   Full text...

23, then, is their latest audio obstacle course, and though it won’t lead you by the nose or grab you by the short hairs, it will lure you into its lair while keeping you at arm’s length, as only true seductors can.  Full text...

Listen to 23 enough, and Blonde Redhead sounds less like avant-garde dream-pop weirdoes and starts making a lot of sense. It's a fractured logic, of course, one that hinges on accepting the band's idiosyncrasies at face value, but once you get it, you'll know.  Full text...