The Legendary Pink Dots
Plutonium Blonde
(ROIR)
The Legendary Pink Dots are, after some 28 years, actually legendary. It’s safe to say that certain corners of the goth movement sprouted from the LPD branch, though I can’t really think of any bands today that are meandering around this universe.
That’s not to say that LPD are goth–this is prog-folk-electro-pop that hinges on Edward Ka-Spel’s affected vocals. A first time listener will hear this and scratch somewhere. Give the music a little time, and the scratching might hit the spot.
All that is for the uninitiated. If you’re an old fan wondering if this set is worth the dough, prepare to cough up the cash. It’s not a career-renovating set, but it’s very solid. I have only heard one of LPD’s four previous albums released this millennium, and this is better. Weird, eccentric and perhaps a wee bit overly trippy, but quite good nonetheless.
When you’re a living legend (even when that legend is circulated among a relatively small set of folks), it’s hard to do wrong. But Ka-Spel and LPD do much better than okay. There are a number of compelling songs here, and they sound that much better considering that very few bands are trying anything like this these days. Good stuff.
The date has been approximated.
