Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

New BSC writer Kenya took a listen to the new Phoenix album. Here's what she had to say.

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Right now they are probably going by "Hey, it's those French dudes from SNL." And, yeah, they are indeed the French alt rock band featured on the Seth Rogen Saturday Night Live episode that aired way last month. I'm sure peeps were scratching their heads on that one before they started playing; knocking back hairlines and raising a few eyebrows. Bottom line is: these guys are good.

They just released their fourth LP, the awesomely titled Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. And if you were unfortunate enough to miss their prime time television performances of two of the album's singles ("Lisztomania" and "1901") as well as one of their first ever singles ("Too Young") then I humbly suggest you swing by the soon-to-be defunct Virgin Megastore @ Union Sq. and cop it. Along with their entire catalogue, if you can manage it. And you should be able to, considering.

French, but not a hint of it in Thomas Mars' oft soaring, sometimes warbling vocals. This album is a bit of synth pop at its best. Symphonic rock n' roll that highlights epic stretches of romance, youth and life. What you do when you listen to this band's notion of lighthearted realism is that 80s Breakfast Club library-banister-dance Ms. Pretty In Pink does so well in the depths of your adolescent memories. It helps that the ten-track disk is meant to mesh well with that decades' nostalgic imagery, as evidenced in the video representation of their singles. Hard pressed, you just couldn't find much of anything wrong with the album. It's crisp and easily enjoyable, with the one flaw being that - relegated to mere background noise - it's in danger of blending into itself. Most notable, next to "Lisztomania" and "1901", stand disco-funk "Fences"; the strikingly Space Odyssey-esque "Love Like A Sunset Pt. 1" and it's brother, Pt. 2, which dances us back into the atmosphere. Back down to earth with the remaining tracks. It's a great long interlude.

I actually put this thing on repeat and listened to all three tracks all the way through three times. It never got old, and I picked up something new every time. I like when that happens. So yeah, go for a bike ride with this. Go fly a kite. Sit on your roof and watch the trains pass by. Clean your apartment. It's good for dance and relaxation, which is an admirable feat. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix wins points for being one of things you just can't argue with. Makes sense.

Link:
Stream Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix