"Three"'s The Charm: Phantogram's New Record

Phantogram

I have to admit - I was really excited about this month's big new release, which was "Three", the third release by New York band, Phantogram.

If you have followed my blog, you know that this band is not new to me.  I covered their self-titled EP back in 2013, and their album, "Voices", was my favorite record of 2014.

It took me a few listens to get used to the new album, because the band definitely takes a few new directions.  But it quickly grew on me.  First of all, "Voices" had music on it that was previously released on EPs, so their wasn't a lot of cohesiveness to the songs, kind of like they were mixed and matched.  By contrast, "Three" feels more conceptual, many of the songs having elements that cause these songs to flow together better.

Next, the band has greatly stripped down their sound.  It's no longer swirly and meshes of celestial noise twined together with crazy rhythms.  There are certainly still elements of synthpop and dream pop there, but they are dampened and toned down to create an innovative pop album that has merits in its own rights.  For instance, the main single, "You Don't Get Me Anymore" is basically stripped down to a funky drumbeat, a throbbing bass synth, and Sara Barthel's sweet voice, and yet it works.  And this is the feel that the whole album has.

"Funeral Pyre" starts out the record with a discordant synth beat staggering around the reverb of Barthel's voice, nearly drowning out Josh Carter's flitting guitar.  "Same Old Blues" has a disco beat with samples of a gospel choir with Barthel's layered vocals sounding surprisingly like a Sheryl Crow song.  "Cruel World" starts with a piano and adds on an off-filter, staggered witch house-style beat with more gospel samples, and the song adds on delicious layers after that.  This whole album really has a more of a soulful sentiment.  Carter takes vocal duties on "Barking Dog", which combines a chamber orchestra with electronic elements.  "You're Mine" is probably my favorite song with both Barthel and Carter trading verses to a simple synth beat, just like the other songs, but, halfway through the song, as it builds, the song explodes into a wall of noise that shows that the band is true to their ethereal dream pop roots.  "Answer" is another tripped-out piano ballad, like a record skipping.  "Run Run Blood" is a feverish, psychedelic piece that does not seem to fit on the album, or does it?  "Destroyer" goes all gentle and pensive on us, and "Calling All" finishes out the album, another one of my favorite tunes combining a groovy beat with vocal acrobatics, Barthel singing lyrics like, "We've all got a little ho in us."

Phantogram is really coming into their own.  This release feels more confident, like they are trying to sound more like themselves and less like the many of the influences (most of them from the '80s) that they have cited.  With "Three", they have cemented their place as one of my favorite bands.