Blonde Redhead primarily self-produced 23, a first for the band. Additional assistant production was provided by Mitchell Froom on two tracks, "Silently" and "Top Ranking". In an interview regarding the album, Blonde Redhead acknowledged their goals to be more spontaneous in their songwriting, to aim for simplicity and clarity, and to create additional tensions. Drummer Simone Pace said he found it nerve-wracking to enter the studio with only loose ideas for songs, while singer Kazu Makino admitted it "wasn't an entirely enjoyable experience. Without a producer, a referee, we could really get on each other's cases. It got intense." Guitarist Amedeo Pace admitted that the band were unsure what direction the album was taking until they reached the mixing stage. Simone Pace said the album "sounds fresh because we are exploring new things. We get tired of doing the same thing all the time, so we search for other things to do." Artist Alex Gross created the album's cover art, "The Tragedy".
Release
23 was released through 4AD on April 10, 2007 in the United States. It debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 63, selling roughly 11,000 copies in its first week. The album was released on April 16, 2007 in the United Kingdom. "23" was released on April 2, 2007 as a one-track light blue-colored 7" vinyl single. "Silently" was released on May 28, 2007 as a digital EP featuring the additional tracks " Harry and I" and "Signs Along the Path", and as a 7" vinyl single backed with an edit of " Harry and I". Melodie McDaniel directed the first official music video for "23". Mike Mills directed videos for five of the album's tracks: "23", "My Impure Hair", "Silently", "The Dress", and "Top Ranking". The "Top Ranking" video stars actress Miranda July.
Critical reception
Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote that on 23, Blonde Redhead "trades the cloistered chamber rock of Butterfly for tone-bending dream pop and subtle electronics; while the wide open spaces sound a little bare at first, this streamlined approach ends up making this Blonde Redhead's loveliest and most accessible work yet." In 2016, Pitchfork ranked 23 at number 30 on its list of "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time".
Track listing
Personnel
Credits for 23 adapted from album liner notes. Blonde Redhead
