Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Description

Realigned with Philippe Zdar, the half of Cassius who mixed United, Phoenix make adjustments on the polarizing characteristics of their second and third albums the pokey and occasionally listless Alphabetical, the jagged and tune-deficient Its Never Been Like That with some of the most direct and enjoyable songs theyve made to date. The two opening songs, the bopping Lisztomania and the buzzing 1901, are so immediate and prone to habitual play that the remainder of the album is bound to be neglected. There is plenty to like beyond that point, including Lasso, which niftily alternates between a tangled rhythm and tight-spiral riffing, and the labyrinthine Pt. 1 of Love Like a Sunset, which serves the same purpose as the extended instrumental passages on Roxy Musics Avalon, at least until its rousing conclusion and shift into Pt. 2. Beyond containing the bands best, most efficient songwriting, the album also stands apart from the first three studio albums by projecting a cool punch that is unforced. Vocalist Thomas Mars, more bright-eyed and youthful than ever, also sounds more a part of these songs, rather than coming across as a protruding element that clashes against the instruments. Maybe theyve just hit their stride. ~ Andy Kellman