The
Phoenix Foundation decidedly packed their fifth album with 78 minutes of
psychedelic pop music that fails to have its ideas condensed or rushed. Although
the album is admittedly long the band’s creative ingenuity and sky-high
aspirations warrant the expanded timeframe. Fandango
follows the footsteps of the previous albums except its unconventional style has finally begun gaining
deserved notoriety from an international audience
Fandango did experience a few struggles
along its creation with the most prominent being the switch up of band members
halfway through recording. Original drummer Richie Singleton left after 12
years with the group to focus on his humanitarian efforts with the environment.
The amicable split led to drummer Chris O’Connor grabbing the helms almost
immediately after Singleton’s departure. The Phoenix Foundation’s fifth album
was recorded over 15 months in multiple locations across New Zealand.
Album
opener, “Black Mould,” may have a distasteful title, but it is one of the group’s
strongest songs that is even able to strike a chord of social concern within the
lyrics. The song addresses the epidemic of respiratory problems resulting from
insufficient building regulations in New Zealand with lyrics like “This mold
will never die. The city is a swamp and the fungus is a circus.” Less
metaphoric, but equally grim songs “Inside Me Dead” and “Modern Rock” showcase
The Phoenix Foundation’s gloomy side. They both have unorthodox pop rhythms and
infectious string elements that make them strikingly different than other songs
off the album. “Sideways Glance” closely resembles the making of a disco jam
with its 70’s influenced psychedelic, groovy melody. “The Captain” follows suit
to the previous track with very similarly fashioned elements reminiscent of
decades past pop music.
The low
point of the album comes with the elongated track, titled “Friendly Society.” This song does have some points of interest where the instrumentals are
encapsulating and electronic beats become thought provoking. However, this almost
18-minute song feels dragged on to the point where it gets slightly annoying.
The
Phoenix Foundation’s newest album Fandango
may be the groups most anticipated release. The inevitable psychedelic
experience this album creates through its funky pop rhythms and neo-groovy beats keep it
entertaining and fresh. The long timeframe of the album can be a deterrent for
some, but for the most part the group has continued its path along the music
industry by again delivering old fashioned disco jams to a new audience.
Grade: B
Grade: B
0 comments
Post a Comment