The Legendary Pink Dots have always been a love-it-or-leave-it kind of band, and Plutonium Blonde is no exception — although non-fans who give this thing a spin might tend to linger a little longer than they did with previous releases by the eclectic collective headed by Edward Ka-Spel. Sure, the hazy Syd Barrett references still abound, and the density of found sounds might suffocate new listeners. Ka-Spel's often unintelligible vocals remain distant, buried beneath the surface as if lyrics were an afterthought. Songs (apparently) about the fragile state of humankind's collective mental and physical health ("An Arm and a Leg") and modern culture's narcissistic love affair with technology ("My First Zonee") prove the LPDs aren't in this only to create clever but ultimately meaningless soundscapes.
Plutonium Blonde is fraught with anxiety, and it's bound to confound all but the converted. But with hints of melody, real instrumentation and actual vocal arrangements, it somehow manages to be slightly more accessible than other LPD releases and Ka-Spel's solo work.
Track Listing:
1) Torchsong
2) Rainbows Too?
3) A World With No Mirrors
4) My First Zonee
5) Faded Photograph
6) An Arm and A Leg
7) Mailman
8) Oceans Blue
9) Savannah Red
10) Cubic Caesar
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