Talk about getting a second lease on life.

Seven years ago, Blonde Redhead pulled off one of the craziest rebirths in the history of alternative rock. Just when it looked like the trio of singer Kazu Makino, guitarist Amedeo Pace, and drummer Simone Pace were doomed to join the long ranks of those who never manage to make the leap to mainstream, along came “23”.

The dream-hazed first track off the album of the same name was one of the top songs of 2007, establishing Blonde Redhead as a breakout act a good 14 years after forming in New York. Everyone would have forgiven the band for trying to rewrite “23”. Instead, Blonde Redhead chose to strip things back for its light and airy latest album, Barragán, which brings the group to the Rickshaw on Friday (November 7). Even if you still haven’t warmed up to jazzlike new offerings like “Dripping”, there’s no need to get your knickers in a knot—at some point the band is guaranteed to bust out “23”, if only because there’s a good chance Makino and the Pace twins wouldn’t be here today without it.