New Music: Phoenix – “1901”

Phoenix grew up a lot on 2006’s It’s Never Been Like That, pushing aside the vaguely Maroon 5-y pop of Everything Is Everything for an album of sleek guitar jams that wouldn’t be caught dead in an Ed Hardy t-shirt. From the sound of things, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix will be another set destined for summer blasting. First single “1901” picks up where the last album left off, adding synthesizers (the influence of frontman Thomas Mars’ babymama Sofia Coppola, no doubt) chunkier than peanut butter. In 2001, the Strokes threw down the gauntlet and asked if this was it — eight years later, Phoenix seem to be answering with a resounding “hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!” Maybe that’s French for “no.”

Phoenix – “1901”: mp3

(Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is due May 25, likely a Euro date – so probably May 26 stateside, A.K.A. Grizzly Bear Day)

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