Bankrupt! (2013)
Phoenix
Album Rating : 3.5/5
Album Length: Just Right
Album Feel: No
Fun, exciting, and underwhelming, Phoenix’s follow up to 2009’s highly successful Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix essentially gives listeners the same album a second time. Electronic elements from their first few albums find their way back into the mix, but overall there isn’t anything too profound, as Bankrupt! exploits the band’s winning synth-rock formula, and is exclusively made up of upbeat indie pop tracks. Lead singer Thomas Mars‘ trademark, repeating the same word over and over again in his choruses, is in full swing here and becomes overbearing and predictable throughout the album. But aspects of some songs are great, like the key changes in “S.O.S. In Bel Air” and the instrumental outro in “Chloroform,” while the opening track and lead single “Entertainment” is as anthemic as “1901.” The album is in no way a failure or boring, it just lacks the feeling of uniqueness that Wolfgang brought to the table. In other words, had Bankrupt! been released first, there’s a chance it would have received praise, while Wolfgang was left in the dust.
Best Tracks: “SOS In Bel Air,” “Drakkar Noir,” “Entertainment”
Worst Track: “Bourgeois”
Fresh Out The Deli 