Phantogram

Voices

Republic Records

Street: 02.18

Phantogram = Purity Ring + Cults – ½ STRFKR

Voices is one of those strange albums that tricks listeners into thinking it’s nothing special at first glance. Obviously, that wasn’t the intention the New York duo had in mind for their sophomore album, but the fact is you have to give this one a chance beyond the first pass. There are some amazing tracks like “Howling At The Moon” and “Bill Murray” that sorely get overshadowed by the major radio hits like “Fall In Love” and “Black Out Days,” which both sit comfortably at the front of the album. The band clearly headed into a less-pop direction with the rest of their music and tried something new, rather than rehearsing what worked last time, which should clearly be commended. But average listeners are going to get their favorites up front and ignore the rest, and that’s a shame for an indie favorite trying to go in some new directions. –Gavin Sheehan