A random trip to Target tonight led to an exciting drive home accompanied by the new Phantom Planet album Raise the Dead! I was able see them at SXSW this year, and they haven’t lost their edge at all from when I saw them forever ago at the 40-Watt. They put on the concert that made me fall in love with the concert experience, the spontaneous energy/emotion created in these rare moments. But about Phantom Planet’s Raise the Dead, I would strongly advise listening to it loud while driving (with a seatbelt buckled of course) and expect to dance. My best comparison would be Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”. After just doing a preliminary listen, this is what I found. Each song is dynamic, taking you from fun doo-bops to intense rock to ballad to doo-bop and again. It was almost impossible to get bored. More than anything, I wanted a chill song for a break from the dancing. However you slice it, this is the album to kick off the summer!
So I’m a sucker for kids singing in the background, but that’s not all that got me stuck on “Leader”. The beat is classic Phantom Planet, and super dynamic sounds with great little guitar riffs interspersed keep it catchy. The energy Alex Greenwald infuses with his vocals drive the song to the last beat. Coming in under three minutes, “Leader” packs the punch.
After a couple more album listens, I decided that my new favorite song is “Dropped”. I just can’t help feeling happy listening to it. I’m guessing it’s the “That Thing You Do” double-clap clap sequence that’s so addicting. Either way, this song is absolutely fabulous!
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