Phoenix - Ti Amo

Rating:

Yet another masterful stroke in the career of a band that seem to only get better.

'Album' of 'the Week'

If there was a survey asked about what people would want from a Phoenix album, then we’re pretty sure the same responses would come back. Sweet electro-pop hooks? Shimmering Parisian synths? That feeling of being transported to a European nightspot where euphoria is the cocktail of choice? In all those manners ‘Ti Amo’ delivers and it delivers big. Building an even greater wall of surging pop sounds into a beefier collection of tracks, it takes predecessor ‘Bankrupt’s more delectable moments and turns it into a follow-up that intoxicates from start to finish, confirming why Phoenix sit in a class of their own.

That knack for a synth-pop nugget is the core of everything Phoenix stand for, and in ‘Ti Amo’, it’s dialled up to a level that simply drowns out any other notion in your head. Like a trip through a scorching summer day on the European coast (which ties nicely to the whole ‘Italian Disco’ theme), it’s as devouring as a fresh ice cream. ‘Tuttifrutti’ is the ‘Saturday Night Fever’ for a fresh new generation, ‘J-Boy’ swaggers with a charm of bright lights and brighter sunsets whilst the title track itself brings high-octance energy into an outfit of distinct suaveness that’s destined to light up packed venues around the globe. Vibrant at every turn, it’s a record completely sure of itself and the road it’s setting down, pulling in the more slow-burning electronica of ‘Via Veneto’ in emphatic ease - similar in result to the hands in the air sheen of ‘Fior De Latte’ and the exotic licks of ‘Fleur De Lys’ that’ll have you shaking in rhythm and throwing shapes in a matter of seconds.

More than anything ‘Ti Amo’ is a wholesome package of mesmerising indietronica that only Phoenix could have pulled of. It manages to feel of another world, yet an echo of infectious energy that you find in the gut of your stomach all at the same time. Yet another masterful stroke in the career of a band that seem to only get better, it’s the record that cements Phoenix as one of the most reliable bands of the 21st century, one that will continue to experiment and expand for years to come. Pass us the cornetto, we’re heading out into the sunshine. Jamie Muir