Alphabetical

Four years after its acclaimed 2000 debut, UNITED, the French pop group Phoenix returned with its eagerly anticipated follow-up, ALPHABETICAL. Whereas UNITED gleefully careened from guitar-based rock to bouncy dance tunes to country-tinged numbers, ALPHABETICAL creates a more thoughtful and consistent atmosphere that relies largely on pop-perfect melodies and steady, driving rhythms. more...

"Everything Is Everything" sets the mood with a staccato acoustic guitar line joined by tight bass playing and mid-tempo beats. The charismatic vocals and heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics of frontman Thomas Mars carry the tunes, particularly the synth-driven "(You Can't Blame It on) Anybody" and the groove-laden "Holdin' on Together". Although Phoenix heavily references 1970s radio-rock and '80s New Wave pop, the quartet blends these elements into its own sound with ease, and the result is an infectious album that gets better with each listen.

Uncut (p.110)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "It's delightfully insidious, the hooks subtle, the lyrics obtuse."

Alternative Press (p.136)
- 4 out of 5 - "[T]he French retro-pop troupe slow it down for maximum smoovness..."

Magnet (p.120)
- "ALPHABETICAL has plenty of carefree pop that's so clean, you can eat off it. The topper is the beautifully mellow 'Love For Granted'..."

CMJ (p.45)
- "ALPHABETICAL is a polished, precise and more focused album."