Review Summary: The ultimate good-times record.
Phoenix have always had a knack for crafting instantly catchy pop-rock tunes. "Napoleon Says" from the band's inspired but uneven 2006 album "It's Never Been Like That", for example, is easily amongst the best pop songs of the Noughties. Despite this, Phoenix never nailed an LP until they released "Wolfgang Amadeus...". What exactly sets this album apart from the band's previous albums is not easy to identify. Every Phoenix album is littered with moments of pop genius and amazing musicianship, but "Wolfgang Amadeus..." somehow feels more essential. Openers "Lisztomania" & "1901" are examples of songs that are immensely enjoyable but do not sacrifice any depth. This album is not a case of style over substance. "Fences" hums along nicely and is probably the album's most dance floor-ready tune. Two parter "Love Like a Sunset" ventures into more experimental electro territory but ends the album's first side with the most brilliant pop moment of 2009. Remarkably, after such an amazing start, the album somehow manages to get better. "Lasso", "Rome", "Countdown", "Girlfriend" and "Armistice" is the best run of songs on an album in recent memory. The tracks are varied, but flow seamlessly in to one another.
After almost ten years of toiling away at pop-rock gems to little acclaim, it takes just 10 songs totalling 36 minutes for Phoenix to prove once and for all that they are one of the best bands in music. Nothing makes me smile quite like "Wolfgang Amadeus..." does.
