Phoenix Album: “It's Never Been Like That”

Well folks, this is a long overdue review of a record that needs its rightful recognition. Simply put, this should be the album of the year for 2006 (not "Return To Cookie Mountain" by TV On The Radio). This disc is packed full of the kind of rhythms and melodies that will keep you going back to it year after year. "It's Never Been Like That" is one of those rare albums that are great from beginning to end. I am a (still young) high school teacher and have played some of the songs for a few students and they've all reacted positively to what they heard. Questions like why don't they play Phoenix on the radio? and do they have other records? were being asked. As a teacher, I have summer months off from work and I travel to Italy for most of the summer. "It's Never Been Like That" quickly became the soundtrack of the summer for my wife and I. I highly recommend this album and feel confident that you won't be disappointed. As always, allow every album the opportunity to grow on you and I promise you that this album will be one that you keep going back to year after year.

Getting back to my comment about "Return To Cookie Mountain"... I am personally startled that this disc by TV On The Radio is as highly praised by critics and fans as it is. I commented that you should allow an album to grow on you in order to fully understand it and appreciate it, but after more than 10 times listening to "Return To Cookie Mountain", I an still wondering how it is possible that quality albums like "It's Never Been Like That" could get overshadowed by that album.

ENJOY PHOENIX!!!

I'm more and more impressed by Phoenix the longer I listen to them. This record has a beautiful sense of the power of repetition in a pop song. The subtle sonic and lyric shifts allow the songs to flex and bob about themselves, creating songs that more akin to woven compositions than just verse/corus/verse.

Standouts like Rally and One Time Too Many show the bands confidence and ability to know when to layout or build up to strengthen the feel of the song.

My only complaint would be that many of the songs seem truncated right as they might be well served by a real release or extended coda. That said, it gives one a good reason to play it again and again.

If you've ever seen Phoenix in concert, or at very least heard last year's "Live! 30 Days Ago," you already know that the band's stage performances are a lot more high-energy than the laidback, feel-good pop of their last two albums would suggest. And that's where "It's Never Been Like That" seems to pick up. Forget about their Air connections or early Daft Punk-inspired electro-disco tracks like "Heat Wave," the French quartet's latest is a poppin' rock record, filled with more jangling guitars than the Strokes have been able to muster over the last few years. But don't let that assertion scare you into thinking that Phoenix are jumping on the garage bandwagon a couple of years too late, because that's not the case. Written in the studio with much of the album recorded in one-takes, singer Thomas Mars -- Sofia Coppola's lucky boyfriend -- is still coming up with non-ironic vocal hooks that could sound at home on your favorite MOR station, sandwiched between hits by Hall & Oates and Steely Dan. But quirkier pop charms, from Mars' cleverly oblique lyrics to the thoughtful arrangements, probably place Phoenix closer to the good company of, say, Utopia's early-'80s records, but with a decidedly "indie" feel (one could easily compare "It's Never Been Like That" to Sloan's "One Chord to Another" or "Twice Removed"). Though old fans might be thrown off for a second by the lack of electronics, they'll be pulled right back in by tracks like "Long Distance Call" which has a charged chorus that's every bit as catchy as "Every Thing Is" and "If I Ever Feel Better." The same can be said for the summery strum-fest of "One Time Too Many" or the ringing-guitar-driven "Napoleon Says," while album closer "Second to None" is about as urgent as anything the band has ever done. If today's top-40 radio were at all relevant, Phoenix would be sitting at number one with a bullet in the high summer days between the 4th of July and Bastille Day.

Although I'm having a hard time understanding the lyrics, musically these guys sound like a softer, more accessible Strokes. Right now I'm listening to track #2 "Consolation Prizes", and I really like the rhythm of this track. The rousing drums and guitars have a real Americana rock sound you don't hear that much these days. Vocals, while not so original, are not grating or overproduced. I hear some electronic synths, but they're used in moderation. Nothing on this album is over-produced or overdone. A nice blend of catchy tunes and quirky lyrics.

Overall a catchy and easy to listen to album from this french foursome. Well done!

I dont know how they exactly did it but this band crafted a nearly perfect gem of pop songs. There's some punk and 80's influences but the band makes music that certainly stands on its own. There's also a mature sense of irony in several of the songs that makes replays of the CD fun if you're older than 16. Very impressive singing in a "rock/pop" style. The studio mixing brings out the strengths of the band.