In an Expression of the Inexpressible

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In an Expression of the Inexpressible
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 8, 1998 (1998-09-08)
RecordedFebruary 1998
StudioJolly Roger (Hoboken, New Jersey)
Genre
Length42:48
LabelTouch and Go
Producer
Blonde Redhead chronology
Fake Can Be Just as Good
(1997)
In an Expression of the Inexpressible
(1998)
Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons
(2000)

In an Expression of the Inexpressible is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Blonde Redhead. It was released on September 8, 1998, by Touch and Go Records.[3][4]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
NME7/10[6]
Pitchfork5.5/10[7]
Uncut8/10[2]

Reviewing In an Expression of the Inexpressible for NME in 1998, Kitty Empire praised Blonde Redhead's music as "a noble enterprise, fraught with detuned Sonic Youth guitars and scything hardcore fury."[6] AllMusic critic Matthew Hilburn attributed the album's "fuller and more polished" sound to Guy Picciotto and John Goodmanson's production and commented that Blonde Redhead has "never sounded quite as good", despite expressing mild reservations about the band's vocal and guitar performances.[5] Nick Mirov of Pitchfork was less enthusiastic, writing that the band strives for "laid-back tension and moody sexiness" but instead sounds "lethargic and unengaging."[7]

In 2018, In an Expression of the Inexpressible was listed as the 46th best album of 1998 by Pitchfork.[8] In an accompanying essay, Pitchfork writer Claire Lobenfeld noted the album's shift away from the grittier sound of earlier Blonde Redhead recordings, and toward "a more romantic and uncharacteristically lustrous version of the Sonic Youth mimesis of their first three albums."[8]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Blonde Redhead (Kazu Makino, Amedeo Pace and Simone Pace), except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Luv Machine"3:39
2."10"3:59
3."Distilled"3:29
4."Missile ++"3:13
5."Futurism vs. Passéism Part 2"4:04
6."Speed × Distance = Time"3:54
7."In an Expression of the Inexpressible"6:09
8."Suimasen" (すいません)3:14
9."Led Zep"5:15
10."This Is for Me and I Know Everyone Knows"2:59
11."Justin Joyous"2:53
Total length:42:48
2001 Japanese reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Slogan"Serge Gainsbourg3:54
13."Limited Conversation" 3:49
Total length:50:31

Personnel[edit]

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[9]

Blonde Redhead

  • Kazu Makino – guitar, vocals
  • Amedeo Pace – guitar, vocals
  • Simone Pace – drums, keyboards

Additional personnel

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Lobenfeld, Claire (July 12, 2013). "Blonde Redhead Albums From Worst To Best". Stereogum. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Pinnock, Tom (October 2016). "How to Buy... Blonde Redhead". Uncut. No. 233. p. 49.
  3. ^ "In an Expression of the Inexpressible". Touch and Go Records. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  4. ^ "Just Out". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 61. September 1998. p. 86. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Hilburn, Matthew. "In an Expression of the Inexpressible – Blonde Redhead". AllMusic. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (September 8, 1998). "Blonde Redhead – In An Expression Of The Inexpressible". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Mirov, Nick. "Blonde Redhead: In An Expression Of The Inexpressible". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 19, 2001. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "The 50 Best Albums of 1998". Pitchfork. February 12, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  9. ^ In an Expression of the Inexpressible (liner notes). Blonde Redhead. Touch and Go Records. 1998. TG196CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

External links[edit]