Blondie: The Panic Of Girls - 2011

 

As with its predecessor, The Curse Of Blondie, this album suffers from unsubtle production, something that overshadows the good offerings to be had here. Blondie's post-2000 releases have tried to mix the trademark Blondie sound with contemporary and varied music, and they do this again on what is quite an eclectic album. We get classic Blondie, reggae, world music, electro pop, Euro pop in what is an intriguing mélange.

D-Day is a gritty, fuzzy, synth-driven thumping and raucous rocker. What I Heard is a typically Blondie electro-pop number with a surprisingly youthful-sounding vocal from Debbie and Mother, the album's single, sort of recreates that anthemic sound that Maria had. The End The End is another recognisably Blondie number, with a bit of a white reggae tinge to it. 

Blondie have always liked a bit of reggae and next they cover a long-time reggae favourite of mine in Sophia George's Girlie Girlie. Although they make a fist of it, it simply can't match up vocally to Sophia's authentic Constant Springs Jamaican accent. Musically, it is fine, though, boasting a good fuzzy guitar solo. Love Doesn't Frighten Me At All returns to classic Blondie rock, having a real Eat To The Beat feel about it, together with some Duran Duran style guitar.

Words In My Mouth is a tad overproduced, but it a grandiose piece of slow Euro-pop featuring more great guitar. Reggae is back on the lightweight but attractive Sunday Smile. Wipe Off My Sweat is a thumping piece of brassy Latino pop, complete with salsa keyboard breaks and Spanish lyric bits. 

The European vibe is continued on the torch song/jazzy French vocals and sound of Le Bleu. China Shoes is back to sombre, mid-paced Blondie fare, in the style of Shayla or Fade Away And Radiate. Mirame has Debbie getting out her Spanish phrasebook again on an attractively lilting number and Horizontal Twist is a deafening thumper to end on. 

Overall, we had an underrated release here that deserves more attention than it got. 

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