| Phantom Planets strengths are amplified when they provide the listener with crashing/playful tunes, clever/angst-filled lyrics and musical-like compositions. Phantom Planet has that “nerd rock” thing going for them reminding me of Nerf Herder or Weezer. This style is reinforced in tracks like “Raise The Dead”, “Dropped” and “I Don't Mind”. I adore this side of Phantom Planet, however; perhaps the guys still feel they must experiment with their sound. A twist to them is the pop/rock alter ego demonstrated in tracks like “Do The Panic” and “Geronimo”. I have mixed feelings about this angle of Phantom Planets personality. The songs are catchy but do not hold a candle to the more theatrical choices on this album, I guess what I am saying is, I love it but I'm not IN love with it.
The softer side of Phantom Planet displayed in tracks like “Leave Yourself For Somebody Else" tickle my fancy. Phantom Planet haven't really touched much new ground on "Raise The Dead" but yet give fans a toast to their past and what they have always been about, it's a real treat.
Overall, I am really rooting for Phantom Planet. Similarly to the “best friend” character redundantly presented in teen movies, I want Phantom Planet to “get the girl”. Unfortunately, when all was said and done I only truly liked about half of this album, leaving me frustrated. I could not understand how “Raise The Dead” had such witty tracks sandwiched between such mediocre ones. I think Phantom Planet could really be a contender; they just are not there quite yet.
~ Wayne
May 01 2008 |
