Week of Phoenix

     This week on I will continue the streak of very hyped up albums. So there aren't very many albums more hyped up then Phoenix's follow up to Wolfgang Amadeus. So this week I will be reviewing Phoenix's fifth album Bankrupt!

     Phoenix are an alternative rock band from Versiles, France formed in 1995. Vocalist Thomas Mars, Bassist Deck d'Arcy, and Laurent Brancowitz formed together Phoenix at the end of another band called Darlin'. It was a short lived band that included Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. If you don't recognize those two that's OK, you might know them better by their current band  name Daft Punk. That's right members of Phoenix used to be in a band with Daft Punk. How awesome is that? They pressed 500 copies of a single on their own label, Ghettoblaster. Following their two singles "If I Ever Feel Better" and "Too Young" United was released in 2000. The band's second album, Alphabetical was released in 2004 and saw the band reach more mainstream success. Phoenix spent time in Berlin during summer of 05 making use of Planet Roc studios to produce their third album It's Never Been Like That in 2006. In early 2009, it was announced that the band was returning with an album called Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix which was released on May 25th. This album brought the band to a whole new level of fame. With mega hits like "1901", "Lisztomania", and "Lasso". "1901" was even featured during Super Bowl XLV in a packers montage. The album won Best Alternative Music Album in 2009 at the Grammy Awards. They became so famous that they were upgraded to festival headliners at several festivals around the world. This brings us to Bankrupt!

      I wanted to discuss Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix before diving into Bankrupt! This is a monster of an album. When Phoenix played Bonnaroo festival in 2009 they were so far down the lineup list you could barely even see them. Then when they were booked again in 2010 for Bonnaroo they were raised all the way up to third line. While at Lollapalooza 2010 they were raised all the way to headlining the festival against Green Day. It only takes one super powerful album and then you begin to rule the world. "1901" is an even bigger hit than the band could have imagined. It was number one on billboards chart for a year, used in absolutely tons of  commercials everywhere. The song was performed on tons of late show programs. While the hit "Lisztomania" was also on Billboards top songs that year, was preformed on Late night with Jimmy Fallon, and on SNL. Not to mention the album won best alternative album of the year at the Grammy's in 2009. Not to mention being my favorite album of 2009 this album rocketed this band into stardom and headlining performances at festivals all over the world.
                                                                     Phoenix-1901

     After four years without a danceable hit and Phoenix fans were starting to get a little antsy. Then they announced Bankrupt!, and the world was a buzz with hype and expectations. They even announced that they had purchased Michael Jackson's soundboard that was used for Thriller for the album. So fans were ready to expect a huge power pop danceable album. well too bad because that is not what lead singer Thomas Mars wanted. He was tired of listening to things that were familiar sounding to our ears, so he tried to do exactly the opposite on Bankrupt! The album is a departure from the sound of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Instead of aiming for more radio friendly pop song this album aims to disrupt your comfortable pop listening session by throwing you into weird new ground. Sometimes making a very fun open listen while other times getting completely lost in itself. This album twists and changes so far from the norm and expectations compared to past works that it has become an anti pop album.
                                                               Entertainment- Phoenix

     The album opens up with the song I just posted above their lead single, "Entertainment". It opens up with a very synthy line and a very familiar sound but it never quite reaches the catchy hooks of past hits, just when you think it might get there it ends. "The Real Thing" feels like a song that been designed to mess with peoples heads. It always feels like its about to rocket into huge chorus hook sections but never gets there. The song stays in comfortable zone the whole time just on the edge, and was made that way on purpose. "S.O.S. in Bel Air" is the closest this album gets to the days of Wolfgang Amadeus. "Trying to be Cool" sounds so much like a new Strokes song it's kind of scary that's certainly not a bad thing. They bring the 80's waviness and cool to this track. The title track "Bankrupt" feels like its bit off a little more than it can chew trying to combine too much on one song making it seem interrupted or awkward. "Drakkar Noir" goes completely synth crazy in the best way. Complex lines laid down on top of each other to create a fun song. "Chloroform" is a very strange song for Phoenix with a very R&B feel to it. Strangely enough this in one of the best songs on here. "Don't" is another song with the sole purpose of derailing the easy listen pop feel, by jumping all over the place. Then we reach "Bourgeois" the true gem of this album. It slows down and vocally flows with ease. It hooks you whether you are aware of it happening or not. "Oblique City" ends things off about as strangely as possible with all over the place falsetto and very over the top happy go lucky keys. Then there is the key change that kills the song dead. KILLS IT DEAD! Sorry just wanted to do that, but seriously why end it like that?
                                                               Chloroform- Phoenix

      Phoenix made a very artsy decision on the new album and I fully support it. The album may not be as good as Wolfgang but after an album like that they only had two ways the follow up could go. OK maybe not really but for sake of argument go with me. They could take the Mumford and Sons path and follow up with the obvious boring but safe babel, or the MGMT path like congratulations with the weird break all the rules confusing album. Even if the end result is disappointing. Artsy over boring new music any day.
Recommended Songs: Entertainment, Trying To Be Cool, Chloroform, and Bourgeois

3.5/5 Stars