REVIEW: Bankrupt! by Phoenix

      Phoenix are the model (independent) music success story. Each one of their albums brought them closer to the mainstream until they broke in with their last record, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. This record managed to launch them into the mainstream with a huge amount of force behind them. This force was a combination of pop sensibilities mixed with indie ideas. The lyrics were also much more sophisticated than you average pop song, which is something many people wanted, but didn't know. The album also somehow managed to be very good and still appeal to a widespread audience, which is every artists dream. The hipsters loved it and the non-hipsters loved it. The only question was how they were going to follow up their breakthrough album. Now the time has come when that album has been released. Phoenix have created an album that is a perfect follow up to Wolfgang by creating an anti-pop album that still feels like a pop album. I will try to clarify that confusing statement in the next paragraph.

      The album starts up with the single you've heard a thousand times, but still at least kind of like, 'Entertainment'. 'Entertainment' manages to still be fresh after many listens. It's also probably the most bubble gum pop song on the record, but it's still a good song. After this the album takes a turn. The music still feels like pop music, but in someway it doesn't. The music begins to feel like the next evolution of pop. It's a fantastic combination of bubble gum pop and indie pop, but leaning more to the indie side. The album takes another turn after too tracks with 'Bankrupt'. It's completely instrumental track a bunch of random synth riffs made into a single song. This song is a really great metaphor for the album. It's all over the place and experimental at parts, but still feels like a pop song at heart. The album continues on with other very Phoenix sounding songs, but still very good sounding. The track 'Don't' is worth noting for being so extremely good. 'Bourgeois' is a break from that, being slower and more reflective. After one more song that album closes. Phoenix have created the perfect follow up to their previous album, but that doesn't mean it's a perfect album. The album doesn't feel like collection of songs of a similar theme, it kind of just does what it wants. It moves around from pop to indie to experimental at a moments notice, which sounds cool in theory, but often doesn't work. A couple of the songs end up being medicore and dull sounding. When the albums works, it works amazingly, but when it doesn't it falls flat. I'm going to give it 8/10 stars because it succeeds more than it fails.

BEST TRACKS: 'Entertainment', 'The Real Thing', 'Drakkar Noir', 'Chloroform', 'Don't'

★★★★★★★★☆ ☆