By John Thomas
Staff Writer
Phoenixs new single Entertainment is a whole gaggle of good times. Even though I am very stubborn in my music appreciation habits, Ive found myself listening to Entertainment almost exclusively since its first play.
If you dont like Phoenix already, youre not going to find anything new here. Even if you like their general formula, but have lost the stamina to continue on without some sort of burst of innovation, this is also not the song for you. While their forthcoming album Bankrupt wont be out until April, I am afraid that Entertainment signals Phoenixs stagnation. While the French rockers have been able to contort their sound in fresh ways for each outing until now, it seems like they found a comfortable place in their last outing, Wolfgang Amadeus, and have decided to sit on their laurels.
That being said, I am totally down for more of the same. Wolfgang Amadeus is one of my favorite albums of all times. Im almost certain that girls and guys have broken up with me over how many times I played Rome in their presence. While it is ethically acceptable for you to not like Phoenixs brand of culturally aware, poppy dissonance indie rock, I dont think it should be socially acceptable. Entertainment is a prime example of everything that works for Phoenix bright, even optimistic, but with sullen, cautious lyrics that soberly celebrate their subject.
I dont usually do this, but Im going to go ahead and recommend that you actually buy this tune on some sort of website or application. Thom Mars and his pals just deserve your money for this bit of cautious happiness theyve unleashed onto a weary world. You could just download it illegally, or listen to it on Spotify, but I believe that youre better than that.