Phantom Planet

Editor's Review:

You might know them as the guys who perform the theme song “California” for Fox’s The O.C. or as that band the kid from Rushmore used to play drums in, but Phantom Planet’s latest self-titled release should garner the five-piece band well deserved recognition solely based on their musical merits. Phantom Planet is a finely tuned pop-rock album, crafted with torrential distortion, feedback and fevered rhythms.
Don’t be fooled by its scruffy appearance. The album seems covered in fuzz — from the vocals to the chunky bass lines — but the hooks are no less sugar coated. “By the Bed,” possibly the catchiest and most well rounded song on the album, builds from a spare beginning to an anthemic release and is the perfect vehicle for frontman Alexander Greenwald’s voice — in this case desperately assertive. As the chief songwriter, Greenwald (who receives sole writing credit on all tracks except for the bittersweet and cacophonous “You’re Not Welcome Here,” which he penned along with the now-departed Schwartzman) excels at sewing the frayed threads of his influences into his own distinct fabric. Moody new wave, plaintive grunge and fiery post-punk are impulsively stitched together, especially in “Knowitall,” but Greenwald’s genuine reverence and sharp personality are able to hold it all together.
However, for all its fuzz and feedback, Phantom Planet seems restrained. At any moment, the music feels as if it’s poised for reckless abandon, but instead, pops and lulls in obvious places. While this would be fine for others of their ilk, and still makes for a solid release, Phantom Planet’s latest shows glimpses that they could be capable of more.
– James Barone
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Record Label Epic / Daylight Released January 2004

Tracks The Happy Ending Badd Business Big Brat 1st Things 1st Making a Killing You’re Not Welcome Here By the Bed Knowitall Jabberjaw After Hours The Meantime