Phantogram has steadily been clawing their way into the mainstream spotlight. Theyโve come a long way from their indie beginnings and have grabbed a lot of notoriety from their numerous collaborations with artists like Miley Cyrus, Skrillex, and Big Boi (of Outkast). Even doing a full EP with Big Boi, which quickly became one of my favorite projects at the time. They continue to step further into the spotlight with the release of their latest album,ย Three.
The thing that immediately drew me to Phantogram in the first place was their production. Itโs just so different than almost anything else out there. Itโs the thing that excites me most about music, hearing something I havenโt heard or experienced before. The way they manage toย combine elements from different genres and form a cohesive whole is amazing. โCruel Worldโ starts out with a simple piano loop and basic kicks then fully explodes into an almost dubstep like riff in the chorus. โYou Donโt Get Me High Anymoreโ is high-energy, with rattling bass and layer upon layer of synths. Then thereโs โAnswerโ, a slow tempo song full of piano keys, intermittent scratches, and subtle kicks, that expands into a full on guitar riff in the chorus. The diversity in their production is exceptional, and while things donโt always mesh perfectly (โRun Run Bloodโ, โCalling Allโ), the high points on Three far outweigh the few missteps taken.
โWoke up stoned in the backseat
From a dream where my teeth fell out of my head
Cut it up, cut it up, yeah
Everybodyโs on something hereโ
The vocals onย Threeย are also quite good when left up to Sarahโs powerful, piercing voice that manages to have an airy quality about it. Itโs a perfect contrast to the production. The songs suffer a little however when Josh jumps on the tracks to lend his vocals. They just canโtย stand up to Sarahโs vocals and heโd be better left behind the boards handling the production.
โEmpty, heavy eyes
Drift away to my heaven
Whatever waits inside
Iโm just a ghost you think you know
Was there something that you wanted to say?โ
Whatโd you think ofย Three? Did you think the production was a good as I thought it was? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave a rating for the album.
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