Product Review
Warning: Even limited exposure to this French band's music is liable to turn the listener into a crazed zealot desperate to "just turn people on" to their music or to wander about aimlessly wondering aloud why they're not at least as well known as, say, Erlend Oye. The band's been relentlessly eclectic since they formed in the late '90s; they make hybrid music, an electronic-flavored rock that's impossible to describe without using up half a dozen hyphens in the process. It's their most straight-ahead, "rock"-sounding release, and if your first thought is that it wouldn't hurt if It's Never Been Like That had a little bit more of a cocaine disco unicorn vibe to it, give it another listen. This record is an effortless-sounding, mini-masterpiece that mixes art song elements with delightful retro-pop. And it's scary how simply and truly great it is--easily amongst the best albums of 2006. --Mike McGonigal

After a 18 month break after the release of LIVE: Thirty Days Ago, French indie pop-rockers Phoenix return with their new studio album, It's Never Been Like That. Filled with a somewhat chaotic mix of quirky and progressive pop rock, Phoenix offers an album sure to please existing fans of the band. The album kicks off with the randomly bizarre but surprisingly growing track, Napoleon Says. Nonsensical lyrics like "Napoleon says to take off your coat, Take off your long johns too" combined with random melodies and a solid guitar lead makes for a song that gets better with repeated listens. Consolation Prizes, Lost and Found, and One Time Too Many are the most commercial sounding tracks on the albums, offering lyrics like "my heart is waiting for a new you..and there is no other option on the schedule" with smooth guitar chords and supportive bass lines complementing the melodies. Long Distance Call and Rally are the most creatively different tracks, filled with random chord and melody changes and jazzy guitar sounds. North is a nice instrumental that just grooves along, and is my favorite track on the album. Courtesy Laughs is another standard mid-tempo song, with Thomas Mars sounding effortlessly cool, while Sometimes In The Fall has a surprisingly addictive chorus. Closing track Second To None sounds extremely fresh and makes for a great ending track. Phoenix aren't breaking any musical barriers with this record, nor attempting to reinvent the wheel. They tend to stick with their familiar sounds, only occasionally veering off into new territory, but doing all of it with a simplicity that suits them well. The 10 tracks deliver the type of pop that fans of the band have come to expect. Clocking in at just under 42 minutes, this is a relatively quick album, and one that probably needs more than several listens to really delve into the quirkiness that is the band's hallmark. Ultimately though, this an album equally at home on your stereo or blasting from your car speakers. A.G. Corwin St. Louis, MO Comment | Permalink | (Report this)