Phoenix- 1901

This is not a post of rage, or bitter cynicism. It is a declaration of confusion.
As stated in my Jordy post all those moons ago, I like French new-popsters Phoenix an awful lot. It's Never Been Like That was a fine, fine album. Take that, cut the weaker tracks, up the anthemic appeal of its best tracks (Consolation Prizes and the title track particularly), squeeze in a bit more synth, times by eleven, and what do you get? Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, the band's damn near faultless uber-recent record. "STOP YOUR FAWNING!" i hear you yell. The point i am coming to is that the album's first single, 1901, is causing me actual disorientation due to it's sheer, unrelenting brilliance. To the point where i have stopped working to write this as i can't think about anything else. It's like a goddamn work of art. A good one. Like a Reubens. It's perfectly executed and completely thrilling. Not quite as full of sex and violence as a Reubens of course (it's French soft rock after all) but that's just the first thing that came to mind. The chord change in the bridge is just one of the finest things ever to grace my young ears. The bit where the synth rolls out under it's first repetition. Faultless. And the chorus. And verses. And the grand climax with the lovely delay swathed guitar lines. Good god. Added to the fact that Fleetwood Mac have announced that they are touring with the Rumours lineup in the UK (oh Buckingham...) and I think it's safe to say work is over for the day for lightheaded elation. TH