Phoenix - Bankrupt! (04/07/2013)
Hailing from a country where cheese, wine, sex and perplexing black and white movies originate, you would expect Phoenix’s new album ‘Bankrupt!’ to be nothing less than what it is, very tantalizing.
The 5th album from the French artists follows the direction of their last album, the boomingly successful ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’. But it reaches a little higher, attempting to be even bolder than before. And it paid off.
If nothing else, ‘Bankrupt!’ seems to be more electronic than its predecessor. Phoenix have overhauled there original sound and further developed their achievements in their last album. In fact, if you are a Phoenix fan, it is easy to identify synthesized sounds produced in the last album.
However, that isn’t derogatory at all. Hendrix never stopped using fuzz or thrashing the blues so, why should Phoenix not hone the tones that brought a greater international presence to the band?
The obvious stand out song on the album is easily the opening track ‘Entertainment’, which blends keyboard synths with guitar melodies seamlessly. Reeking of fun and excitement, the track is an instant hit and is will be welcomed with cheers at any Phoenix gig around the world.
If there’s one bad thing to say about ‘Bankrupt!’ it’s that somehow it feels a little unfinished. If not for tracks like ‘Entertainment’, ‘Don’t’ and ‘Drakkar Noir’, the album might seem a little lost.
The album titled track ‘Bankrupt!’ plays out for around four and half minutes before a single voice is heard and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But when those four and a half minutes are filled with single modulating tones that never really crescendo or meet to form a comprehensive song, it gives the sad impression that the album may be a bit amateur.
Fortunately, those moments are rare and far between in the album. Otherwise, it is quite infectious and fun. You can imagine yourself singing along to it inside a tight mosh out at some day festival or rocking out to it at home inside the embrace of a pair of large headphones.
Regardless, Phoenix have produced an exciting and enjoyable album that states the progression of a band close to our hearts and assures us that more brilliant work is to come.
Jack White
The 5th album from the French artists follows the direction of their last album, the boomingly successful ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’. But it reaches a little higher, attempting to be even bolder than before. And it paid off.
If nothing else, ‘Bankrupt!’ seems to be more electronic than its predecessor. Phoenix have overhauled there original sound and further developed their achievements in their last album. In fact, if you are a Phoenix fan, it is easy to identify synthesized sounds produced in the last album.
However, that isn’t derogatory at all. Hendrix never stopped using fuzz or thrashing the blues so, why should Phoenix not hone the tones that brought a greater international presence to the band?
The obvious stand out song on the album is easily the opening track ‘Entertainment’, which blends keyboard synths with guitar melodies seamlessly. Reeking of fun and excitement, the track is an instant hit and is will be welcomed with cheers at any Phoenix gig around the world.
If there’s one bad thing to say about ‘Bankrupt!’ it’s that somehow it feels a little unfinished. If not for tracks like ‘Entertainment’, ‘Don’t’ and ‘Drakkar Noir’, the album might seem a little lost.
The album titled track ‘Bankrupt!’ plays out for around four and half minutes before a single voice is heard and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But when those four and a half minutes are filled with single modulating tones that never really crescendo or meet to form a comprehensive song, it gives the sad impression that the album may be a bit amateur.
Fortunately, those moments are rare and far between in the album. Otherwise, it is quite infectious and fun. You can imagine yourself singing along to it inside a tight mosh out at some day festival or rocking out to it at home inside the embrace of a pair of large headphones.
Regardless, Phoenix have produced an exciting and enjoyable album that states the progression of a band close to our hearts and assures us that more brilliant work is to come.
Jack White