Artist: Phoenix
Album: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Year: 2009
Grade: 3.5 pretzels
About a month ago, a strange little band appeared on Saturday Night Live. When I heard that Phoenix were scheduled to make an appearance on the legendary comedy show, which usually settles for nothing less than the biggest music acts around, I was suitably confused. I assumed that about fifty more prominent bands must have turned SNL down, leaving only this chirpy French alternative act to kill some time. To their credit, Phoenix turned in a confident performance that night, certainly acting like they belonged there. They even snuck a third song in during the credits, something that usually only Coldplay can do. But, as I went to sleep that night, the same question kept repeating in my head: Just what exactly would come from this lucky publicity break for Phoenix? Would they actually ever become successful in the mainstream here?
In many ways, Phoenix have all the right pieces to win over alternative radio here in the States. Although they’re profoundly French (from Versailles, no less), they sing in English and have very subtle accents. Their “French-ness” actually has very little influence in their music, aside from some superficial resemblances to their peers in bands like Daft Punk and Air. Who they actually sound the most like are the Strokes, one of the most American alternative rock bands in recent years. The same sense of urban cool hangs around both bands’ music. Both also create deeply unfunky, charmingly white dance-rock, perfect for awkwardly boogieing the night away in your new American Apparel hoodie. It’s music for young city kids. As a young city kid, there’s nothing wrong with that, I say.
But, where the Strokes are blessed with frontman Julian Casablancas’ drunken slurring and charisma, Phoenix drop the ball a bit when it comes to vocals. Singer Thomas Mars has a thin, unmemorable voice which doesn’t give these songs much oomph at all. It’s no coincidence that my favorite song here happens to be the seven-and-a-half-minute “Love Like A Sunset”, in which Mars doesn’t appear until the last minute. Instrumentally, Phoenix are a dance-rock band and with that comes a certain lack of instrumental bite. If you don’t have a strong frontman balancing that out, you end up with some fairly limp music.
What truly saves Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is the songwriting. The band are more than capable of churning out catchy little indie ditties, ready to mow down all the competition at your local college radio station. Opening tracks (and singles) “1901” and “Lisztomania” deliver all the shining, fun atmosphere a band like Phoenix should deliver, while the closing duo of “Girlfriend” and “Armistice” provide an appropriate, cheerful come-down. Sandwiched between all this sugary pop, however, is the startling “Love Like A Sunset”, which sprawls over its lengthy duration with a moody instrumental, reminiscent of some of Brian Eno’s work in the mid-70s. It sounds like it belongs on another album all together, but at the same time, it manages to fit seamlessly into the album, providing an extended break in all the dancing to sit and be intellectual for a change.
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix has made me pay attention to a band I had quickly dismissed for the past few years. “Why do we need a French Strokes?” I’d ask. While I’m still not completely won over by their music, particularly with Mars as their frontman, they are definitely beginning to show a lot of promise. “Love Like A Sunset” particularly shines the light onto a whole new path for the band to follow. I don’t know if they want to embrace this more experimental, “serious” type of music in favor of their standard dance-rock. God knows the world needs both types of bands. However, if they do want to follow that more unexplored route, I wish them the best of luck.
In many ways, Phoenix have all the right pieces to win over alternative radio here in the States. Although they’re profoundly French (from Versailles, no less), they sing in English and have very subtle accents. Their “French-ness” actually has very little influence in their music, aside from some superficial resemblances to their peers in bands like Daft Punk and Air. Who they actually sound the most like are the Strokes, one of the most American alternative rock bands in recent years. The same sense of urban cool hangs around both bands’ music. Both also create deeply unfunky, charmingly white dance-rock, perfect for awkwardly boogieing the night away in your new American Apparel hoodie. It’s music for young city kids. As a young city kid, there’s nothing wrong with that, I say.
But, where the Strokes are blessed with frontman Julian Casablancas’ drunken slurring and charisma, Phoenix drop the ball a bit when it comes to vocals. Singer Thomas Mars has a thin, unmemorable voice which doesn’t give these songs much oomph at all. It’s no coincidence that my favorite song here happens to be the seven-and-a-half-minute “Love Like A Sunset”, in which Mars doesn’t appear until the last minute. Instrumentally, Phoenix are a dance-rock band and with that comes a certain lack of instrumental bite. If you don’t have a strong frontman balancing that out, you end up with some fairly limp music.
What truly saves Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is the songwriting. The band are more than capable of churning out catchy little indie ditties, ready to mow down all the competition at your local college radio station. Opening tracks (and singles) “1901” and “Lisztomania” deliver all the shining, fun atmosphere a band like Phoenix should deliver, while the closing duo of “Girlfriend” and “Armistice” provide an appropriate, cheerful come-down. Sandwiched between all this sugary pop, however, is the startling “Love Like A Sunset”, which sprawls over its lengthy duration with a moody instrumental, reminiscent of some of Brian Eno’s work in the mid-70s. It sounds like it belongs on another album all together, but at the same time, it manages to fit seamlessly into the album, providing an extended break in all the dancing to sit and be intellectual for a change.
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix has made me pay attention to a band I had quickly dismissed for the past few years. “Why do we need a French Strokes?” I’d ask. While I’m still not completely won over by their music, particularly with Mars as their frontman, they are definitely beginning to show a lot of promise. “Love Like A Sunset” particularly shines the light onto a whole new path for the band to follow. I don’t know if they want to embrace this more experimental, “serious” type of music in favor of their standard dance-rock. God knows the world needs both types of bands. However, if they do want to follow that more unexplored route, I wish them the best of luck.
No comments:
Post a Comment