Blondie: Pollinator - 2017
After the definite attempt to experiment with contemporary dance sounds that was The Ghosts Of Download, Blondie reconvened soon after to continue ploughing the “modern music” furrow, but this time within the format of paying respect to some of the old Blondie traits.
The result is an enjoyable, vibrant album, but one that relied a little too much on synthesisers and digital-ish drums for my liking. Its sound is too big, too contemporary and lacking much of the musical subtlety in parts that the classic era Blondie albums had. I fully understand why they want to put out stuff like this that sounds up-to-date, as opposed to trying to sound as if it was 1978, but personally I wish they had done just that. It is too thumping an offering and overloud (and I like my music loud) - oh for some Farfisa organ or Clem Burke drumming in rolling 1977-79 style. (Come on man, give it a chance - just turn it down a bit).
The album is littered with guest stars keen to appear with such a respected retro band, but such is my ignorance of post -millennium musicians that guitarist Johnny Marr is the only one whose name I recognise. As it happens, he wrote the album’s best track, the frantically rocking My Monster.
Other highlights include the catchy, BritPop-esque Best Day Ever, the electro disco-ish Fun, the most seventies-ish and excellent Doom And Destiny, the irresistible Long Time, Already Naked, When I Gave Up On You and Too Much. Much of the album, amidst its modern groove, pays slight nods to the old disco/pop past, but nothing will remind you of Plastic Letters or much of Parallel Lines. Yes, it is a good, lively album, but it maybe doesn’t yield anything instantly special, something most Blondie albums used to do.
Having said that, kudos to the album’s first two tracks - Doom And Destiny and Long Time - for having a few strong hints of the Blondie of old, Debbie’s understandably gruffer voice notwithstanding. Yes, maybe they have still got it - with each listen I like it more and more, always a good sign, so there you are. On the first listen I thought “hmmm”, by the second one it was far more “mmmm”.
