Phantogram: Eyelid Movies

Officially formed in 2007 by Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel, Phantogram looks like your typical indie band. Barthel's hair screams mod, and the band's genre classification seems arrogant. Fortunately, this NY duo proves to be more than your typical newcomer with their debut album. Eyelid Movies (2010) combines various elements of electronica, street beats, indie pop, dream pop, shoegaze, hip-hop, and trip-hop to create a delectable musical experience swimming with synthy elements, brassy interjections, effective sampling, and solid beats, topped with dreamy vocals.

While the entire album is covered in a slight shade of grey, Phantogram does a lovely job incorporating both darker and lighter tracks, resulting in a strongly atmospheric, yet never monotonous album that takes influences from staple artists in various genres and then melds these elements into something fresh and interesting. Carter's rougher, and at times less impressive, vocals appear in stark contrast with Barthel's soft and dreamy singing, making for an interesting push-and-pull throughout the album that follows the the same push-and-pull feel of the tracks, which ultimately resolves itself in an exhilarating finish. Lyrically, you'll find no sweet love songs or strong social commentary, but instead, the raw unfoldings of rejection, dependency, melancholy, and the likes.

Unmistakably indie, but not pretentiously so, Eyelid Movies is a great debut album that you may find yourself listening to multiple times before it suddenly pounces out of mediocrity and latches onto your eardrums faster than its tracks can alternate between the raw and edgy to the flowing and dreamy.

-Rating: 9/10

Album: Eyelid Movies Year: 2010 Artist: Phantogram 01. Mouthful of Diamonds 02. When I'm Small 03. Turn It Off 04. Running from the Cops 05. All Dried Up 06. As Far as I Can See 07. You Are the Ocean & I'm Good at Drowning 08. Bloody Palms 09. Futuristic Casket 10. Let Me Go 11. 10,000 Claps

At first glance, Eyelid Movies contains a few catchy songs right that might mildly interest a fan of the genre on their first listen. The real beauty of this album really takes a few listens--it definitely did for me, as I only enjoyed Let Me Go and When I'm Small at first and really didn't appreciate the complexity of the pieces. I think it's been a month or so, and the album has finally settled in. c; On a side note, I don't really care for their videos. I might even say that they make the songs a lot less enjoyable, but eh!

I decided to leave out scores for my least favorite tracks.

01. Mouthful of Diamonds - 7/10 - Released in 2009 as a single, Mouthful of Diamonds appears to be one of the more well-known tracks by this duo. While this track isn't my favorite, I must admit that the dreampop and headbobability feel of this song, paired with Barthel's dreamy vocals, makes for a good listen.
-Listen-

02. When I'm Small - 9.5/10 - This track is easily one of my favorites from the album and also happens to be the first track that drew me to Phantogram. When I'm Small is a forward-moving, beat-driven track that builds up for over three minutes, alternating between strong, beat-driven backing and flowing interludes, leading to a beautiful 40-second finish, which I would have to say is one of the finest moments in the entire album. The ultimate treat is hearing Barthel sing, "I'd rather die; I'd rather die than to be with you" at the climax, followed by a downpour of sheer epicness that can only be described by the song title, "Jigsaw Falling into Place." 
-Listen-

06. As Far As I Can See - 8.5/10 - This track is one of the better tracks on the album that demonstrates Phantogram's ability to combine a variety of influences to create a catchy, effective track that cannot be adequately described under any label.  Their heavy use of brass sampling, combined with various hip-hop and trip-hop elements under, of course, dreamy vocals, makes for a lush listen that is smooth and delicate, yet solid, soulful, and edgy.
-Listen-

07. You Are the Ocean & I'm Good at Drowning -6.5/10

08. Bloody Palms - 7.5/10 

09. Futuristic Casket - 8.5/10 - A powerhouse of a track, Futuristic Casket starts off strong, with an unmistakably raw, industrial and urban attitude. And then it slips into shoegaze and before you can even catch the seamlessly gradual transition. Carter's vocal effects fit very well with the song 's two distinct styles.

10. Let Me Go - 9/10 - A restless turmoil of sharp percussion, brass with an attitude, and flowing piano makes for something that feels like a an urban waltz with sweet honey bite. Throw on Barthel's clear, confident vocals, and you have a beautiful juxtaposition. I'm not even going to begin to attempt to list the various styles incorporated into this piece.
-Listen-

11. 10,000 Claps - 8.5/10 - Brooding, pensive, and subdued, 10,000 Claps is a lovely, lovely close to the album. The album funnels down from the lush, beat-filled, and oftentimes edgy landscape painted by all the previous tracks, and finishes on this one anomaly of a track. Dreamy, lonely, melancholic, and sparse, the simple piano backing and Barthel's vocals encourage retrospection, introspection, and reflection. It is definitely a beautiful curtain-closer, except the curtain is made of the softest, lushest, red velvet imaginable, and it falls--achingly, slowly, freely--before a stage of silent, grey, flickering dancers. And as the curtain reaches the end of its descent, it takes a final breath, and there is applause. 
-Listen-




Album: 9/10


The Ups: Interesting, not monotonous (which can be an issue for others in this genre), effective hybrid of many styles, catchy, complex
The Downs: Some tracks don't feel as polished as they could be, some ideas can be more further developed, takes a long time to appreciate

He's telling you to listen.