Phoenix Album: “United”

Description :

Phoenix: Deck D'Arcy, Laurent Brancowitz, Thomas Mars, Jr., Christian Mazzalai. <p>Additional personnel: Junior Carrera (guitar); Eddie Efira (pedal steel); Sandrine Longuet (harp); Hugo Ferran (saxophone); Andrew Crocker (trumpet); Patrick Sherlock (trombone); Camile Baz Baz (Hammond organ); Jean Phillipe Dary, Rob (Clavinet); Thomas Bangalter, Pedro Winter (synthesizer); Marlon (drums); Cubain (percussion); Julia, Oliza (background vocals); The Love Choral Society, The Arcysian Vocal Ensemble, The Hector Berlioz Choir. <p>The 2000 debut from the French band Phoenix gleefully combines the electronic-laced melodicism of their fellow countrymen Air with the sensibilities of 1980s UK pop (in the mode of China Crisis and Prefab Sprout) and imbues the results with a dance-floor sensibility. Toss in a bit of classic '70s stadium rock and tongue-in-cheek country, and you have UNITED, a Frankenstein's monster of a record, guaranteed to have something to please nearly any ear. <p>Vocalist Thomas Mars's fey, thickly accented singing lends an appealing vulnerability that is most evident on the record's most infectious track, the glass-smooth "Too Young" (which was handpicked by Sofia Coppola for inclusion in her 2003 film, LOST IN TRANSLATION). "If I Ever Feel Better" recalls an edgier version of the slick funk-pop of Level 42, while "Party Time," is a two-minute would-be punk rave-up. The riskiest track, the nine-minute "Funky Squaredance," opens with a loping vocoder-treated verse, only to morph into a dance number punctuated by heavy-metal guitar breaks. Capped off by cover art mimicking a hard-rock LP circa 1984, UNITED makes musical schizophrenia a true asset.

This is definitely one of my favorite albums of all time.

As a dj, I Discovered it like many others trough the single 'If I Ever Feel Better' who was remixed by the big names of French House.

It is the perfect CD to listen at home while having a drink with friends or alone.

If I Ever Feel Better, Too Young and Honeymoon are 80s style melancholic electro-pop masterpiece, while some tracks like 'School Rules'are more on the rock edge.

Funky Squaredance is the secret highlight of the album for me, three songs in one.

I was also very surprised to see that Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk, Stardust, Roule and Irreversible) was playing keyboards for the band.

A must-buy!

The debut album from indie rockers Phoenix marks a welcome return to the guitar sound that surely I'm not the only one to have missed over the last few years. Since radio waves have been swamped by the girlish harmonies that boybands and teen-idols shriek, we've seldom had an upbeat guitar and keyboard band to caress our starving ears.

From the heavy opening chords you can sense that this is a band with an altogether traditional take on rock music. But as the album progresses, there's a sense that something out of the ordinary (in a good way) is pouring out of your speakers.

United combines up-tempo tunes such as 'Too Young' and If I Ever Feel Better' (thier UK single relases - so far, surely destined to become anthems for the year) which boast flavours of 70's disco, with off-the-wall melodies and franky undecipherable lyrics such as 'Funky Squaredance'.

At only 38 mins of play time, it's hardly overlong, but there's not a flat tune on the playlist and you'll never take it out of the cd player.

It's gotta be bought - simple.

Additionally, as a live act they live up to the promise of the album, with the bonus of extended versions of their songs, and acrobatics from the lead (who has a thing for climbing amplifiers). Check them out as soon as you get the chance.

Phoenix is the band with a stupid name whose creativity is not further delimited by the stupid title ("United") of this collection of infectious pop songs.

The stand out song here is "Too Young" clocking in at three minutes and nineteen seconds of pure pop bliss with a nearly percussive organ part that drives the back beat and recalls the early work of Steve Nieve in "The Attractions." The lead guitar is a tight funky riff that is nearly lo-fi, while the drum parts themselves are executed on a small kit but are a deceptively intricate combination of a shuffle and disco beat, that serve as an alternate lead. The only instruments tying together these competing forces are a some long slow chime strokes of a steel string acoustic rhythm guitar part and a bass part straight out of the power pop song book.

The vocals on "Too Young" are the standout: pure garage band sounds that cross "The Archies" with a sober Paul Westerberg.

The rest of the album makes for an effective selection of cross genre efforts that show off the band's versatility and taste, but nothing else really matches the standout single here.

Describing this album to one of my friends I said, "it's kind of a frech-disco-pop-rock album. Honestly, that's a pretty good descriptions. There are two songs "Too Young" and "IF I ever" that are strong catchy little numbers. For the U.S. version they even included a remix of "Too Young," which is of Lost In Translation fame.

All in all, this is a great album to chill out to. You know those laid back Sea and Cake tracks that are just perfect for laid-back Sunday afternoons? There is a track here, I think #8, that is so close to that, you just can't help but imagine yourself the recluse of some deserted island. Somewhere time seem to reverse itself and, as opposed to the continually quickening pace of the rest of the world, actually seems to slow itself to the point that each thought seems like an entity unto iself so that, yes, you can finally, SLOW DOWN. Now, given, that is just one song, but nonetheless the record works well, I recommend it wholeheartedly.