It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Phantogram’s newest effort is titled Voices. From the first ten seconds of Phantogram's now classic "Don't Move" it becomes pretty clear that the group’s secret weapon has been Sarah Barthel's tasteful vocal loop samples. Others have come to the same conclusion, and spreading her seductive tone has given them enormous genre crossover credibility. Clocking in at three songs on Big Boi’s ambitious Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors as well as one song on the Flaming Lips noise orgy The Terror the duo have not only spread the love but have also learned to hone in on their own signature sound.
And it’s a good thing too. Back in 2011 the groups less than stellar EP Nightlife had many wondering why they didn’t just make an EP’s worth of “Don’t Move.” Maybe they couldn't?(!) Voices isn’t that album, but it is a lot closer to the winning formula.
Phantogram is heavier in this release showcasing Josh Carter’s exceptional ability to create lush soundscapes for Sarah to dance through. Carter holds his own as a progressively ambitious producer, creating complex and hard-hitting beats with a crispness that makes it clear why Big Boi took notice. He has certainly upped the production and the transitions in every song hits with crashing catharsis.
This structure is perfectly exemplified on first single “Fall In Love.” The duo create an ear worming melody while fattening the J-Dilla style basslines that made them so interesting to begin with. The break before the chorus raises the listener to the crest of the synesthesiac wave before hitting with all the signatures we’ve come to expect from Phantogram. There are the vocal loops, Carter’s guitar and crashing drums, and Sarah’s singing smashing all at once.
For most of the album the same ingredients are mixed at differing equations creating a satisfying tonal theme while remaining fresh throughout. On “Black Out Days” the fat bass is scaled back a bit and there is more guitar synth creating a backdrop while the track is carried almost exclusively by Sarah’s loops. The “Day You Died” is rife with guitar pop sensibility and builds on more traditional rock tonality. Then there is the sweet serene of “Bill Murray” which beautifully captures the ennui with which we’ve come to know its namesake.
Still the group breaks away to experiment on tracks like “Howl at the Moon.” A sped up drum beat puts Sarah out of her comfort zone forcing her to flow faster than we’ve seen her do previously. It works for the most part, but in the chorus she can’t help herself from singing the elongated sustains that she is known for. It isn’t a perfect experiment but you have to appreciate the attempt.
Perhaps the biggest issue with the record though comes when Josh Carter takes the helm of the vocals. After the triumphant hat trick of “Nothing But Trouble” “Black Out Days” and “Fall In Love” we are led into “Never Going Home.” Listening to the release in full on NPR’s early stream of the album, I was certain I had been somehow booted into an entirely different release on NPR’s First Listen page. When the abrasive track fizzled out, Sarah came back in and settled my fears that NPR was bullying me.
To his credit Carter recalls a certain texture similar to We Are Pilots era Shiny Toy Guns. While “I Don’t Blame You” and “Never Going Home” are produced wonderfully they seem out of place on this release. I would have been interested in these tracks if he had set them on a solo release (JeCartes might work), but in the schema of this album it feels not only disingenuous but, more importantly, off theme.
Which leads to another issue with the record, but is indicative of an overall issue with Phantogram. While the aesthetic the group creates is unarguably unique and ear catching, the songwriting leaves much to be desired. The group is able to create the dark wiry headspace that allows Sarah’s lyrics to not be overtly analyzed but it would be nice to have some new ideas or funny wordplay to mull over. Still, Phantogram has created something victorious in Voices; coming out of the dip in success of Nightlife, they have proved they are capable of ascending the mainstream.
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