#190
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glass Note, 2009)
I remember being a little worried when I finally bought this album on its release day and saw that "Listzomania" and "1901" (the two pre-release singles that I could. not. get enough of.) were the first two tracks on the album. I was thinking, "is this going to be another one of those albums that kicks off with two incredible singles only to fade with each successive track to the point where it becomes a chore just to sit through it?". Luckily a loud spin on a sunny spring day quickly cleared my mind of any such foolishness. While it was true that, no, nothing else on the album topped the exorbitant joy of "1901" and "Listzomania" (but really, who can fault a band when these were two of the absolute best songs of the entire year?), there was plenty to discover and fall in love with. Thanks to my long-standing admiration of bands that put their love of krautrock to good use, the bit I loved immediately was the two-part "Love Like A Sunset" suite. The five-minute instrumental lead-in was smothered with all the hallmarks of great krautrock - hypnotic synths, Michael Rother inspired guitar work, and a slow build to a motorik groove. Stunning and, to be honest, completely unexpected. Repeat listens revealed how much more there was to the album - "Girlfriend", "Fences", "Countdown" and especially "Lasso" were all great pop in their own right. I love an album that reveals new depths after the novelty of the singles starts to wear off. Except, upon replaying this just now, it is clear that the novelty of "1901" and "Listzomania" will never wear off. Ever. If you don't believe me, just check out what these P.S. 22 kids think.
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