Phantom Planet – Raise The Dead
Release Date: April 15, 2008
Record Label: Fueled By Ramen
I was chilling in my room, listening to music, when one of my roommates came in and asked what I was listening to. When I told him I was listening to the new Phantom Planet album, his response was: “Oh, didn’t Jason Schwartzman used to be in that band? I dig that “California” song.”
A realization dawned on me that Phantom Planet is mostly known for their ex-drummer and a snippet of their song being played in the opening credits of a cheesy teen soap. And that’s really unfortunate, considering that the band has improved on their sound with each album since their 2002 breakthrough, The Guest.
And their latest album, Raise The Dead, is a great departure from 2004’s self-titled effort. Their fourth album (and first on new label Fueled By Ramen) sidesteps from the tight rock-pop of their previous three albums and delves into grander orchestration: strings, dynamics, children choirs, and more atmospheric, spaced out noises, as well as vocalist/guitarist Alex Greenwald’s obsession with cults and their leaders. During the recording process, Greenwald indulged himself with popular cult leaders such as David Koresh and Jim Jones, and the kind of music their cults produced. The double meanings and upbeat energy of these songs are an underlying theme throughout Dead.
Vocalist/guitarist Alex Greenwald completely owns this record. It is clearly evident on the title track, as Greenwald howls like a madman while be backed instruments that crash in such a manner that you’d believe the band was trying to rouse the deceased. The sexy “Dropped” is a definite toe-tapper, lead by the dueling guitars of Greenwald and Darren Robinson and nicely rounded out with hand claps.
The highlight of the album, though, comes with “Leader,” which draws on all the cult research that Greenwald did during the recording process. An insanely catchy track, it also showcases some of the best lyrics on the new album. Complete with a children’s choir, the song is a spin cycle of needling guitars and a lively rhythm section.
The first single, “Do The Panic,” is a reworked version of the song that originally appeared on the band’s fan-club only release, Phantom Planet: Negatives. The song flows in the vein of a Strokes’ track, with its subdued verses and frantic chorus. The haunting “Quarantine” will undoubtedly draw comparisons to some of Radiohead’s early work, while “Demon Daughters” is a chilling track, with a chilling pre-chorus that leads into an explosive chorus, with Greenwald being the one leading the exorcism. “Too Much Too Often” will take you for a spin on the dance floor, while “I Don’t Mind” calmly closes out the album with a steady pace and heavy horns.
With Raise The Dead, Phantom Planet have successfully progressed again. The album features plenty of variety, from catchy to chill; the album covers all the tempos. It’s been four years since their last album, but it was worth the wait, as Phantom Planet have released the most complete and best work of their career. The only advice I have for you, the reader, is to go out immediately and pick up this album. Oh, and don’t drink the Kool-Aid.
I completely agree about "Leader", just an awesome song. I really like this album, I feel like they finally figured out the perfect sound for themselves. I love his more mature lyrics... I just hope the public catches this release and remembers them for more than "California".
Such a good review. I'm so glad you mentioned the thing in the first paragraph because that is what I always hear. I was considering checking this out, but now there is no question.
I just figured I'd give this album a try about a week ago and I absolutely love it. It's incredibly catchy and just diverse enough to keep me interested throughout. 'Demon Daughters', 'Confess' and ' Raise the Dead' (which reminded me of Neutral Milk Hotel quite a bit) are my standout tracks so far.
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