Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix 
This year's "Summer Album", a distinction firmly levied two years ago upon Panda Bear's peerless Person Pitch, seems firmly in the grasp of newly released Phoenix LP Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. From the bouncy pop of "Lisztomania" and sheer exaltation of album highlight "1901" to the almost mathy vibe of "Armistice", Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is a record of undeniably catchy licks and lilting vocals wholly suited to the sunny skies and warm breezes of a long summer holiday.
The album's considerable strength is most apparent in its first two singles, Lisztomania and 1901. In particular, the latter's chorus is among the most thrilling in recent memory with its rising synth undercut by an unbelievably heavy, rounded snare. The dreamy, downtempo Fences prefaces the two-part Love Like a Sunset, a mostly instrumental sequence that draws fair comparisons to much of Seidenmatt's earlier work. It would be incredibly difficult to name a favorite from side two, though, interestingly, any of the five remaining tunes would appear just as at home in the libraries of Northwest indie stalwarts The Postal Service, Minus the Bear, or (in the case of Girlfriend especially) later day Sunny Day Real Estate as they would in the output of this band from the outskirts of Paris.
Highly recommended, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix easily ranks among the top two or three indie releases this year.
Tags: Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
