Phantogram

“Eyelid Movies” is driven by simple, catchy parts—each enjoyable on its own terms—thoughtfully layered together to produce a truly impressive debut album. Electro-rock band Phantogram, hailing from Saratoga Springs, NY, is comprised of Josh Carter on guitar and Sarah Barthel on keyboard. Though dominated by its singles, “Eyelid Movies” still manages to present a satisfying introduction to the up-and-coming duo.

The album starts off strongly with the group’s two previously-released singles, “Mouthful of Diamonds” and “When I’m Small;” by far the two best songs on the record. The former flaunts an orca-esque squeal and is driven by a warm, droning synthesized bass line that, when isolated at the beginning of the verse, creates a beautifully hazy atmosphere. “When I’m Small” follows, sounding like a less dramatic or soul-infused Portishead cut. Though somewhat rhythmically monotonous, the song is carried by the strong, pulsing bass line and Barthel’s excellent vocal performance.

The placing of these two songs at the beginning of the album gives “Eyelid Movies” a thrilling opening, and does an effective job of introducing what’s to come. Carter’s sleek, overlapping guitar lines on “Mouthful of Diamonds” are repeated many times throughout the LP. It seems as though he barely strums a whole chord, but his finger patterns are always effective and atmospheric. Barthel’s “oohs,” which first appear on “When I’m Small” are repeated on many other songs, injecting life into some of the record’s less engaging moments.

Some of the depth of “Eyelid Movies” comes from Phantogram’s rather transparent attempt to roughen up their songs through the use of lo-fi production elements. On “When I’m Small,” background crackling makes it sound as though the song is being played on a cheap vinyl record player. This attempt to avoid the crystal clarity of electro pop and set Phantogram apart from similar groups like Postal Service makes the album less accessible than it might have been. It does, however, succeed in livening up the album’s repetitive beats and melodies, which otherwise could become rather sterile and bland.

Though the second half of the album is clearly no match for the opening, it does contain some gems. “Running From the Cops” has Carter singing through garbling effects similar to those found on Aphex Twin songs. Though these effects can be grating, they do add some variety to the vocals in their oddity. “You Are the Ocean” is the only track with Carter on lead vocals that truly succeeds in being an emotional and catchy tune, proving he can be an effective lead singer, not just a guy playing around with production gimmicks.

“As Far As I Can See” is probably the most interesting track on the later portion of the album. The beat, which sounds like something J Dilla might have put together, draws heavily on samples and chopped vocals. It would be incorrect to say Barthel sings over this track, as it really feels like her voice is incorporated into the beat. The lyrics are ambiguous yet clearly melancholy, with Barthel, declaring, “As far as I can see / Nobody loves me / As far as I can tell / Nobody loves you with her.” These lines are somewhat representative of those on the whole album. At no point are the lyrics particularly substantial, but they do at least usually depict vague sentiments of love, loss, tension, and frustration, while rarely remaining grammatically coherent for longer than a line or two.

The best features to be found on “Eyelid Movies” are the bass lines and Barthel’s vocals. Carter’s guitar playing also occasionally shines, particularly on the album’s quieter songs. The album’s lyrics, while only hooking the listener occasionally, certainly do not hurt any of the songs. This neutrality is as much as the record needs, as its other aspects provide plenty of highlights. Although not remaining stellar throughout, this album provides a great overview of what Phantogram are capable of accomplishing. Based on its singles alone, “Eyelid Movies” is a considerable success, and the quality of the record as a whole shows that more can be expected from these two in the future.