Blonde Redhead are one band that have definitely mellowed over the years. Starting out as a harsh, abrasive band taking it's cues from the short-lived no wave movement of the late 70s, their more recent albums have become increasingly sophisticated, subtle, and delicate. "Misery Is A Butterfly", the band's first major release on the 4AD label, continues this process, unveiling an album that is brooding and dark, to a degree than mere guitars and distortion can't really achieve.

The most noticeable difference between this album and previous efforts by the band is that this one sounds slick, smooth, and silky. While the jagged sounds of their earlier albums defined the band, and gave them an artistic edge, the sound here is so soft and polished that at times it's hard to believe that it's the same band playing. This is both a good thing and a bad thing, while the change allows the band to be a lot more subtle and insidious with their sound, it also almost completely divorces the band from it's previous self. Listeners putting this on, expecting blasts of shrieking noise in the style of the band's debut will be sorely disappointed.

That's not to say that the band has completely lost their edge. Indeed, some of the tracks here are amongst the best in the band's catalogue. Falling Man is fractured and splintered, but strangely appealing in it's own way. So to is Anticipation, a somber, toned-down affair (for Blonde Redhead, anyway), which represents the band not only exploring new musical territory, but fearlessly conquering it.

Unfortunately, the very differences which make this album so interesting also work against it in places. Elephant Man, and Melody for instance, with their arrays of keyboards and strings, simply sound a bit overdone. In places, it's as if the band is trying too hard to create an atmosphere of wistful romance, which is a shame, because over most of the album, the band not only tries to do this, but they succeed admirably.

So, "Misery Is A Butterfly" is not a masterpiece, but it's not a bad record either. I suspect that with a bit more practice, Blonde Redhead could work this style of music until they produce an album that is breathtaking, because the skill is definitely there. But I also suspect that for their next album, the band won't be content to stay still, and will start pushing some other musical boundaries. Until then, this album isn't too shabby at all, and it's a decent addition to their discography.