Search - Phantom Planet :: The Guest

Great Album

T. Hawkins | Bethesda, MD | 01/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD was actually given to me from someone that had an abundance of CDs that were overflowing his case. I played it a couple of times and fell in love with it. I was living in Italy when I heard the song California, I always loved hearing it come on during the drunkin nights at the pool table. It was my 3-minute escape back to California.

Over the last couple of years I have made a transition from rap to alternative/rock, and CDs like this have helped me in doing so. I grew up listening to Northern California gangster rap and never had the influence of some good-listenin rock & roll. I listened to Pearl Jam and Soundgarden but that was the extent of it.

This CD is perfect in many ways. How the style of the singer blends with the melodies of each song is brilliant. I sometimes forget that "California" is even on the CD. We all wish for a CD that is going to be laced with nothing but great tracks and this is one of them. Not a fan of the last track, and "Anthem" is a little corny but still has a great sound to it. If you buy this listen to it all the way through, every song completely. Some will start out like duds and one is quick to hit next as I was, but give them a chance, those are the ones that will really catch your approval from the melody of the hooks. I haven't heard any of their other CDs, and I honestly don't think they will compare to this album but they will still be worth a try.

"

Received it as a gift for Christmas...

Jason Wu | SoCal | 02/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...from a friend who'd accompany me to the beach every weekend. I listened to it with low expectations; I'd been knee-deep in prog-rock, listening to the Mars Volta, Tool, and other bands of the like (and I'm definitely not saying that if you like those bands, you'll like Phantom Planet). However, this CD brought me back to the days of old when music wasn't simply a concept, but created for the sole purpose of entertaining its audience, and those songs went way back to the days of the Eagles or even the Beatles.



Regarding the album, it's extremely listenable. I've found that by pretending that California wasn't played fifty kajillion times over the radio, it's still a great song. Some songs that stood out (not that I'm saying the other songs weren't as good, it's purely based on my own taste) were "Anthem", "Nobody's Fault", "Turn Smile Shift Repeat", and "Wishing Well". Some might say that "Anthem", "California", and "Wishing Well" all have the exact same formula, but hey, if it sounds good, then it works.



If you're still an avid supporter of indie and progressive rock that explores new frontiers of music, that's fine. However, don't let that attitude keep you from listening to a genuinely entertaining album.



And for a truly great experience, I recommend bringing it along to a beach trip; listening to it next to the bonfire and watching the sunset with your best friends or significant other generates fond memories (sorry for those not on the west coast, you're missing out!).



Rating: 4.5 (I rounded it up just because I'd like to see the overall rating become 4.5)



-SoCal Resident: Jason W"