Review Summary: Breaking Through
Listening to The Phonies debut album I can't help but be hit with a cold, alternating warmth. Almost as if I keep getting glimpses of springs arrival, only to have winter come back with full force. It conveys a sense of a brighter future on the horizon inexplicably overshadowed by a dimmer past.
When brought into the opening of "A Mellow Extinction" you are slowly greeted with smooth guitar that creates a lush, somber atmosphere for you to take in. Just as soon as you begin to get comfortable with your surroundings though the tide suddenly shifts to throw you into a barrage of unsettling noise, percussion, and synth only to eventually bring you back into the beauty of the beast. It's in this moment you realize that there is something more unstable buried underneath the dreamy surface of it all.
Throughout the entirety of this experimental electronic project your hit with appearances of washed out melancholy vocals, elements of funk, rock n roll, and even slight pop tendencies. Yet, even with all these varied sounds and array of influences the cohesion and overall vibe never seem to degrade. You get taken on a personal ride that rarely seems to have a dull stop along the way, even when it reaches it's most challenging, romantic, or depressive moments.
By the time the overall experience does start coming to a end and the final undecipherable lyrics declare "what a beautiful sunrise, wish I was here to see it" it makes the the enthralling journey almost start to feel complete. Before leaving on such a bleak note though, a sudden a sense of optimism starts to shine through with a absolute stunning string infused classical piece to climax everything out. It serves as the perfect closer, and visually feels as if spring finally broke through to melt away the snowy remains of the harsh winter.
Finally stepping away from it all your simply left with a excellent debut album by The Phonies. It not only surpasses previous efforts it also shows the artist beneficially stepping outside their comfort zone, while successfully playing to their past strengths. With all that said It leaves the door open for many possibilities in the future, and even If you somehow don't end up viewing this particular experience in a similar or more personal way it's one that is worth having regardless, and one I'm really glad I didn't miss.
