It's been some 30 years since Blondie produced their biggest hits "Heart of Glass" or "Rapture," while decades have passed since their rein as punk-new wave innovators, Deborah Harry and company still have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Producing a thoughtful, yet often misguided pop-rock album, from Spanish house track "Wipe Off My Sweat" to "Words in My Mouth" the tunes fall flat. Even when Blondie isn't entirely flat, straying off into The Killers synth-rock territory with "Love Doesn't Frighten Me At All," it doesn't quite work.
Panic of Girls, does however, offers vintage '70s era Blondie staying true to their new wave roots on lead single "Mother," or on the sonic quirk of "D-Day." While "The End The End" begins where "The Tide is High" left off, with a lesser degree of success.
"What I Heard" the album's standout, showcases Harry's remarkably intact, sharp vocals still offering a cocktail of sweet seduction and femme fatale all her own. Though well into her 60s, Deborah Harry, still serves as the blueprint for everyone from Madonna to Gwen Stefani to Lady Gaga.
Blondie still have enough gusto to produce new wave gems, unfortunately Panic of Girls is an experiment that all too often misses that mark becoming a caricature of itself.
Essential Tracks: "D-Day" "What I Heard" and "The End The End"
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