Moroni's Review of Phantogram's "Phantogram" EP

Phantogram

This duo from upstate New York describes themselves as "street beat, psych pop".  I think this description of Phantogram's music is very apt.  Even before I knew that this is how they described themselves, I thought that there was a sense of duality to their sound.  On the bottom layer, they have a driving rhythm and synth bass.  The top layer is filled with ambient noises and celestial keyboards.  All of this is threaded with Sara Barthel's airy voice.

This band is relatively new to the scene with only a couple of albums and a handful of EPs.  This self-titled EP is a bit confusing, because it is not their first EP to be self-titled.  The EP starts out with "Black Out Days", an angst-driven piece with breathy wails pummeled by electronic beats.  My favorite song is the second track, "Never Going Home", sung by Josh Carter.  The intro reminds me quite a bit of "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins.  He sings:

If this is love, I'm never going home

And the guitars swirl like a Cocteau Twins song.

The next song, "The Day You Died" has a New Order dance vibe that is unmistakable.  The EP closes out with the marching cadence of "Celebrating Nothing".

This EP was a good way for me to be introduced to the work of this group.  They have a new album coming out next year.  I will anticipate it warmly, eager to see what an entire set by these guys is like.