Phantom Planet is a band that has grown up together, officially forming in a Pizza Hut when they were all just 15. From the start, they embraced the pop sensibilities of Elvis Costello and The Zombies, and mixed it with the then-popular grungy, punk sound for their 1998 debut Phantom Planet is Missing. Then The Guest was released in 2002, and Phantom Planet was forever labeled as “that band that did the O.C. theme song.” Two years later, their self-titled album was released, and displayed a marked determination to break their commercialised boundaries. That album was smarter, older, edgier, but ultimately hung on to catchy choruses and basic pop progressions. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Now, with their next installment Raise the Dead, Phantom Planet are sticking to the pop formula once again. There are notable differences, however. The band have embraced the four track, cheaply produced electronic sound that has always been heard on their B-side albums ( Polaroid and The Negatives I and II ), originally available only to paying fan club members. On the surface, it seems that Phantom Planet have jumped on the electronic-laced rock band wagon a little too late, but really they’ve just finally gotten the confidence to use the sound on their mass-produced efforts.
They’ve kept the grunge, distortion, and in-your-face attitude that showed up on the last album. The sound is ex-model, lead singer Alex Greenwald’s prerogative, and he executes it with gusto. Greenwald is good at singing snarled, punchy lyrics. The band have simplified down the melodies to match it, which is a shame because he can really sing when he has to. He gets a brief chance on Confess, which is reminiscent of pre-millennium Phantom Planet.
Overuse seems to be a trend. A lot of these tracks sound like sequels to songs from the last album, using the same ideas and presenting them with a similar sound. Leader has the same racy basslines. Greenwood sounds, as he is wont to do, very much like Julian Casablanca. Darren Robinson has some fun solos, and the chorus of children gives the track a sense of light-hearted whimsy.
Do The Panic shows up with a new set of lyrics and a tweaked-out chorus since its original release on Negatives I. This song haunts me, and the revamp does not save it from the mediocrity of the past. They should let it die, and don’t raise it again. On Quarantine Greenwald sings like an early Thom Yorke. He moans alongside restrained instrumentation. This, too, is reflective of the band’s earlier song, Turn Smile Shift Repeat (one of their smartest moments).
The band also remains devoted to their macabre preoccupation with death and zombies. They even produced short zombie movie for the last album. Never subtle with their obsession, the title Raise the Dead says it all. This, like Greenwald’s snarled delivery, may be getting a little played out.
The opening track, Raise the Dead is a fine example of how Phantom Planet can control a song, and build it without sounding like they’re trying. Control is one thing they’ve gotten a better handle on since the last effort. Phantom Planet certainly seem more comfortable with their studio craft, and venture out on more creative limbs than in the past. Too Much Too Often, is a shining moment on the album. The prefabricated beats, and new wave-inspired synths are a perfect match. Ship Lost at Sea is another example classic, pop, guitar rock, with simple progressions and a catchy chorus. Robinson plays up a memorable honky-tonk guitar.
Overall, the album is less brooding, and more light-hearted than the last. This is fun, party rock, with less of a grudge to bear. I have to say, I was expecting much more out of them. For an album that was constantly postponed, and four years in the making, there are few spectacular developments. Phantom Planet have still created a set of songs that are easy, accessible, and fun – making Raise the Dead worth a listen.
