The Artist: Blonde Readhead
Formed in New York in the early 90s, Blonde Redhead began as a noisy, no-wave outfit inspired by Sonic Youth and the downtown scene. But by the time of Misery is a Butterfly, they had transformed into something far more delicate and ornate.
Led by Italian twins Amedeo and Simone Pace and Japanese vocalist Kazu Makino, the band combined art-school instincts with cinematic scope. Their early work was spiky and dissonant. But after a traumatic horse-riding accident left Makino physically and emotionally scarred, their sound softened into something more introspective - lush, surreal and haunted.
This album marked a turning point. Less noise, more nuance.
A record that trades abrasion for beauty.
The Record: Misery is a Butterfly (2004)
From the opening seconds of the first track, Elephant Woman, it’s clear this is a world apart. Piano, strings and soft percussion melt into Makino’s breathy, brittle voice. It’s wounded and composed at once - like porcelain threatening to crack.
The production (by Guy Picciotto of Fugazi) is rich and restrained.
Falling Man and Melody shimmer with melancholy. Messenger unfolds like a beautiful confession - delicate, deliberate and exposed.
Equus gallops with ghostly impatience, its rhythm urgent and weightless.
Doll is Mine moves hypnotically - a lullaby with menacing undertones.
And Pink Love, perhaps the most haunting of all, pulses like a heartbeat. Breathy vocals intertwined with swirling strings.
Misery is a Butterfly is full of tension: sweetness and sorrow, control and collapse.
A beautiful record that simply floats away - taking you with it.
Play Now:
🔊 Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
Start With:
- Elephant Woman - Dreamy, tragic, unforgettable.
- Falling Man - A slow spiral.
- Melody - Baroque pop unraveling.
