Phoenix soars to new heights with latest 'Bankrupt!'
Erika Harwood
Daily Arts WriterApril 23rd, 2013
Two weekends ago, rumors swirled around the desert of Indio, Calif. that Daft Punk would join its fellow Frenchmen of Phoenix onstage during their set at the Coachella Music Festival (feel free to take a moment now to imagine that on-stage collaboration). However, the two helmeted men in shiny designer suits never showed up. Instead, at the end of Phoenix’s set, a lustrous, unaccompanied voice emerged from the unlit stage. A voice that belonged to none other than the modern-day poet and man who spends a notable amount of time in closets, R. Kelly.
As the lights turned on, R. Kelly continued to slowly belt out the lyrics to “Bump n’ Grind” while Phoenix waited patiently behind him. Where was this going? Why was R. Kelly onstage with Phoenix? Was this some weird Coachella installation art piece? At this point, nothing in life made sense and the confusion among the presumably intoxicated crowd was probably widespread. Then, after R. Kelly commanded the crowd to “make some noise,” Phoenix began playing their 2009 fame-maker, “1901,” as R. Kelly gyrated across the stage singing, “Now I’m not trying to be rude / But hey pretty girl, I’m feeling you ... ”
Yes. A mashup of R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix)” and Phoenix’s “1901” happened live onstage and transformed Phoenix’s set into one of the weirdest Coachella moments since that Tupac hologram. We should all feel so blessed to live on a planet where Phoenix’s Thomas Mars and R. Kelly can share a stage singing “Sippin’ on coke and rum / I’m like, ‘so what, I’m drunk’ ” together as one.
Thanks to this impossible-to-predict performance, the hype for Phoenix’s fifth album, Bankrupt!, reached its peak. Despite being together since 2000, Phoenix soared to immense popularity in 2009 with the release of its last album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which churned out hits such as “Lisztomania” and “1901,” resulting in the group’s first Grammy win.
“Entertainment,” the first single off of Bankrupt!, glistens with light synths before drums erupt and more synthetic layers emerge, transforming the song into the album’s danceable opening track. While the group’s fifth full-length album doesn’t depart much from its previous efforts, Bankrupt! serves as a compilation of Phoenix’s best elements: fresh-sounding synth rock.
Tracks like “Trying to Be Cool” and “The Real Thing” shine like classic Phoenix songs, with dazzling synths and light, grooveable melodies that will surely make the cut for many summer-themed playlists. “Trying to Be Cool” stands out as a potential next single on the album, with its breezy electronic-alt sound that seems crafted for outdoor summer listening. Also, does Phoenix think it has to “try” to be cool? Only those who are effortlessly cool can get R. Kelly to make an appearance while they headline one of the world’s most famous music festivals.
The group even takes a page out of the Wolfgang book with the almost seven-minute-long instrumental track “Bankrupt!,” unarguably reminiscent of Wolfgang’s “Love Like a Sunset.” While none of the tracks set themselves apart as any sort of risk or experimentation for the group, Bankrupt!’s 10 tracks could all be identified as Phoenix, something the group has been cultivating for over a decade. Mars’ breathy vocals can easily be traced on songs such as “Don’t” and the slightly slower “Bourgeois,” adding to the laundry list of reasons why Bankrupt! will prove to be a fan-pleaser.
This doesn’t mean the album is without its flaws. Despite what the Coachella performance might have people believe (or dream), R. Kelly doesn’t make an appearance on the album, and the absence is notable. Maybe on the Bankrupt! re-release?
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Tue, 28 May 2013 05:40:25 -0400