Music Review

Wolfgang
Amadeus
Phoenix
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Phoenix
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With the revelation of this year’s Jazz Fest lineup, it’s only appropriate that we here at The Paper Wolf help guide festival goers to the best musical performers available. As an avid music lover, I can say one of the biggest bands to see for your list this year should be the French electropop group Phoenix.

Arriving on the musical scene in France back in 1999, Phoenix had a moderately successful career in their home country with their catchy fusion of alt rock and electronic pop. In 2009, they exploded onto the global stage with their hit album, “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.” Music sites like The Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Time, and more cited it in their “top albums of 2009” lists, and it went on to sell over 500,000 copies in the United States alone. Today I’m here to tell you what the buzz is all about.

“Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” sheds the toned down style of the band’s previous works and offers a bigger-than-life album that lives up to the name they’re riffing off, refusing to simply be more “pop drivel” and instead fusing genres to branch off in a new direction.

The album kicks off with “Lisztomania,” which uses a nice, simple guitar and synth to highlight singer Thomas Mars’ vocals about fascination with fame, and then utilizes the powerful drums to drive home the catchiness. Next is the album’s first single, “1901,” which uses buzzing synths and drums to weave a tale of old Paris. These two songs alone are worth the price of admission, thanks to their masterful recording which inspires an immediate toe-tapping reaction.

But there’s much more beyond that to enjoy on the album. “Lasso,” a bit further down on the track list, is a great song alternating between rhythmic and riffing, with the same quick drumming that accents all of the songs on the album and translates them from being merely catchy to earworm.

If you want some variation, “Love Like a Sunset” and “Countdown (To The Big Sun)” are less popish, more bombastic compositions that are more instrumental than their counterparts. “Rome” and “Fences” are somewhat slower, more formulaic songs that are still catchy in their own understated way.

The album rounds out with “Girlfriend,” which is a nice popish tune but nothing too special, and “Armstice,” which is good end to a great album.

Overall, the power of the album doesn’t just lie in Mars’ catchy vocals or the foot-tapping instrumentals, it’s the masterful production of it all that ties the package with a big red bow. All of the little touches on every song add up to make the whole thing sound great, even if you don’t notice each element on it’s own. It’s a treat to listen to with headphones.

Despite all of the perks, though, there are still a few problems with Phoenix’s album. For instance, some of the songs slog a bit, resorting to being little more than pop filler, even if it’s at least enjoyable. As it seems to be with most of Phoenix’s work, the album starts big and loses its footing a bit in the second half.

These cons aside, “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” is a wonderful combination of electronic and pop in two genres that are often overshadowed by shoddy newcomers. Phoenix’s new album “Bankrupt!,” announced for 2013, is one you should keep on your radar as well. And for everyone going to Jazz Fest: Yes, Phoenix should be at the top of your list.

Key Tracks:

• Lasso
• 1901
• Lisztomania