So I saw an electronica band that got a fairly good review in EW, so I of course went immediately to my computer and got it. And then I thought, huh, I’ll finally get that album that Jeph Jacques keeps talking about (or at least he used to, I’m a little behind.) So here’s a dual review of two albums from 2009.
Phoenix‘s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
WAP starts off and you’re instantly sucked into an upbeat fantasy world called “Lisztomania.” This song saves no time getting started, and it’s the kinda of thing where the sound stops and starts suddenly, but the smile-inducingly earnest vocals of Thomas Mars stay constant throughout. A fun technique used here is multiple instruments playing the same two notes over and over again, but it’s so infectious, you don’t even notice. If the whole album was this good, these guys’d be superstars. “1901″ continues on in a similar fashion, with yet another crazy-infectious hook, shoutin’ “Heyheyheyheyheyhey!” and the like. “Fences” features lots of falsetto, but it’s not as well delivered as, say, Bon Iver or Prince. Plus, the track’s not as rockin’ as the first two.
“Love Like Sunset” is a seven and a half minute electronic celebration of life. The last 2 minutes have vocals, but up ’til then, it just features melodies that come and go with fizzing bass in the background, each instrument fades in, has it’s swan song, then fades out. Even the fizzing disappears, and is replaced by single note strings and danceable beat. around 4:30, this starts to grow, both in volume and pitch, to suddenly cease in a toneless droning. A different beat comes in, and so do the guitars. And the track finally resolves.
Since the album only has 9 tracks, “Love Like Sunset” sort of serves as a barrier between the last five and the first three. Take heed, the second half has officially begun. It begins with “Lasso,” a quick track that seems to be about being trapped ina relationship. Next up comes “Rome,” which I thought was over at 2:00, but I still had two and a half minutes to go. Christ. “Countdown (Sick For The Big Sun)” is already more interesting than the last two in the first thirty seconds. And the hook of “sick sick sick” is strikingly quiet in comparison to the rest of the song. The soaring vocals and piano on the ending give a sort of note of hope. “Girlfriend” continues to be unimpressive, with more repetition of the same word like twelve times. It was good in the other songs, but in this one it seems really annoying. The album wraps up with “Armistice.” What’s this? Aggression? What happened to the happy BS that permeated this whole experience? Still, nothing other than that stands out in this one, and we’re left wanting just a little more.
Now, don’t be confused. This whole album is fairly good, but kinda monochromatic as far as different sounds go. Be sure to check out “Lisztomania,” “1901,” “Love Like Sunset,” and “Countdown (Sick For The Big Sun)
EDIT: I decided that the dual review was too long, so the Royksopp portion has been moved to it’s own post, entitled “You Know I’m Happy Up Here.”
