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::k4:
a r t i s t :: Phoenix
t i t l e :: United
d a t e :: 2000-09-19
l a b e l :: Source Records
g e n r e :: Indie
s o u r c e :: CD
b i t r a t e :: 241 kbps avg
e n c o d e r :: LAME
t r a c k s :: 10
p l a y t i m e :: 37:49
s i z e :: 68 MB
tracklist
1 School's Rules 1:32
2 Too Young 3:19
3 Honeymoon 5:00
4 If I Ever Feel Better 4:26
5 Party Time 2:13
6 On Fire 2:49
7 Embuscade 3:56
8 Summer Days 3:15
9 Funky Squaredance (Part 1-3) 9:39
10 Definitive Breaks 1:40
releasenotes
On their debut album for Astralwerks/Source, Phoenix applies a slick
electronica aesthetic to traditional pop/rock songwriting, resulting in a
quite adventurous album capable of re-organizing perceptions about 1980s-style
verse-chorus-verse guitar pop. Of course, the fact that the group members come
from France gives them the necessary perspective on commercial American
pop/rock from the past. With this perspective, they bring fresh life to
something that grew stale fast, primarily with their textural approach to
songwriting. For instance, the catchy vocal hook from "Too Young" seems far
too melodic for its own good, mostly from the pristine production that brings
an uncanny gleam to Thomas Mars' already warm voice. Furthermore, one can pick
pretty much any instrument in any given song and appreciate the way the sounds
come alive in ways that few pop/rock songs are capable of: the percussion
gently rattles far too crisply, the bass guitar sounds more like a house
bassline than an actual guitar riff, and the subtle guitar sounds seem just
too little like the oft-stale sounds that have been associated with guitars
over the years. In sum, the album sounds great, but the allure goes deeper
than just production. The band understands how to write catchy songs that
manage to retain an innocent aura of simplicity and accessibility without
coming off contrived. To just think of United as an album of slick pop/rock
postmodernism would be cheapening; think of the album as an uncanny yet
earnest showcase of what makes pop/rock pop without the gaudy trendiness that
now makes the 1980s seem so distasteful.
http://www.wearephoenix.com/
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