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At the center of every album is a musical thesis. This thesis can be the driving force behind the album, a theme that interweaves songs together, or a feeling you are left with after the very last song plays. With some albums, the thesis is easy to find. On others, it is hidden and requires you to be more than a passive listener. These reviews aren’t about rating an album. Instead, it is about uncovering a musical thesis.
I found Phoenix the same way lots of other Americans did, through a car commercial (which happens to me more than you think it would). Instantly, I was hooked and went scrambling through their catalog. I now have all their major releases and wait impatiently for their next creation. When “Ti Amo” was released, I sat down with the intention of allowing the music to take me where it wanted. After a few ventures through, I walked away from an album with a thesis that is hard to nail down but is more upbeat than previous offerings.
Phoenix has always effortlessly floated between genres. At times, they can lean heavily on emotional rock, then the next track can be electronic dance music, and then float into the world of pop. As a listener, this can be frustrating or exhilarating. I personally find it captivating to be in the presence of a band who is constantly experimenting with their sound and consistently producing something new for their fans. Without a doubt, that experimentation continues on this album.
If there is one theme you could rally around on this collection of songs, it would be love. Of course, this a theme explored to death in popular culture. Everything we consume seems to be about the love of something, somewhere, and/or someone. Adding something new and fresh to this never-ending conversation is no easy task. Phoenix doesn’t completely nail it with this offering, but they do make a decent effort at it and for that, I still think this an album worth your time and attention.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan
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