Released: January 2009
Label: Chemikal Underground
Though it’s only March (and early March at that), 2009 has already seen what will surely be one of the best debuts of the year in The Phantom Band’s Checkmate Savage. It’s a snarling beast of an album, but it’s also beautiful. Take the opener, “The Howling,” which builds off a pounding bass and drum (mostly bass) groove that gives it irrepressible energy. Despite this distinctly rock foundation, the vocal melodies recall the Midwestern sound of bands such as Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket, albeit without the harmonies (which would simply be needless clutter in a setting like this).
What this does is allow the band to work within a big, expansive sound without feeling loose. Instead, everything feels impeccably tight (most of the time). The grooves are crisp and to the point, forming the foundation of most of the songs on Checkmate Savage. The band works around these grooves excellently, building atmosphere and providing memorable melodies without losing sight of the end goal. Even the riffs often feel simply like a part of these grooves, such as on album highlight “Folk Song Oblivion.” It is when the band most emphasizes the pure power of their music, even when they do so by pitting it against gentler vocals, that they are best, as seen on the succinct and altogether excellent “Halfhound.”
Conversely, where the album falters (which is a rare occurrence) is where the band loses focus and begins to meander. This is most apparent on the nearly nine-minute “Island,” which goes on and on, seemingly endlessly, even though the ideas from which it’s built are on par (or nearly so) with those from the other songs on the album (the main melody is actually quite gorgeous and one of my favorites on the album). Thankfully, this is a rare problem, as most of the album is concise and focused.
Though this is a debut effort, it often feels honed to near perfection, displaying uncannily mature songwriting throughout. It has some slight missteps, but Checkmate Savage is a stellar album, firmly establishing The Phantom Band as one of the most exciting new acts as we head towards a new decade.
-Pnoom
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ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more. This and Cymbals Eat Guitars are both stellar debuts.
ReplyDeleteTwo things I forgot to mention. Firstly, don't you think it would be nice if the reviews weren't anonymous? I mean, if there are more of you writing them, I would prefer to know whose opinions I'm reading. And the other thing is that "Island" is actually one of my favourite songs on the album and I can't believe you don't think it's on par with the other songs. I mean, it's almost nine minutes long, but it feels like a three-minute song and I just don't want it to end. I don't know if it's just me but I hear the Fleet Foxes chill vibe in the song. And it's a perfect change of pace too. Anyways, I hope you'll keep running the blog, I'm looking forward to reading your reviews. Best of luck, Jacek
ReplyDeleteIf you look at the bottom of the post, you can see who posted them.
ReplyDeleteHowever, having authors sign their reviews might be a good idea, I'll pass it along.
And yeah, I definitely get a Fleet Foxes vibe from parts of this album.
Aaah right, I haven't noticed that.
ReplyDelete