Blonde Redhead 23

After the spare, moody indie rock of 2004’s Misery Is a Butterfly, Blonde Redhead turn up the atmosphere on 23, using suggestive electronics and subtle studio polish to put a cautiously otherworldly spin on their songwriting. Seesawing guitars lend a distinctly shoegaze feel to the woozy chord progressions of the title track, and on “The Dress,” Kazu Makino’s voice swims in a swirl of synths and guitars. Muted electronic drums even lead “Publisher” toward trip-hop territory—albeit blended with the band’s richly textured brand of guitar rock.