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 One of the Best Albums of 2008 Jun 18, 2009
I purchased this album over one year ago and I'm still listening to it on a regular basis. For me this is by far the most underrated release of 2008. The first four tracks are amazing. Phantom Planet has successfully made three very different, but very good albums. I'm a huge fan of the last self-titled effort, but Raise the Dead is a satisfying addition to the Phantom Planet catalog.
The standout tracks on the album are "I Don't Mind," "Dropped," "Raise the Dead," and "Leader." I also highly recommend the bonus track "Ivory Daggers" which should have been on the standard release of the album. Phantom Planted have entered an "indefinite hiatus" earlier this year but hopefully they keep making music. Alex Greenwald has a knack for writing catchy songs. I can't wait to hear more.
Great outing by a band with a proven track record Dec 15, 2008
Phantom Planet has once again displayed their excellent musicianship and song crafting abilities in flying colors (Tonal colors literally do fly all over the place here). Overall, Raise the Dead is a much more consistent, and confident album than their last self-titled foray. Drawing from a host of fail-safe influences (ranging from David Bowie, Blur, Led Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers to The Beatles & Talking Heads no less!) there are more ear catching melodies floating in this sauce than can be reasonably be consumed in less than a few listens. Luckily, with the production value of the recording, the lush, smart arrangements and modest 43:12 playing time this turns out to be quite an engaging experience.
Like others have noted before me, this album sees them balancing their saccharine pop tendencies with their wish to live up to the old rock greats grit and grime. With only a few minor exceptions, they have managed to weave all these influences together in a surprising collage of sounds. For anyone who doesn't believe that the boys who wrote "California" could possibly lay down the big beat, check out track 8, "Geronimo" and you may be as impressed as I was with it's giant riffs that feel like a throwback to some of the best heavy rock from the 70s. Elsewhere on the disc, you can hear the quirkiness of Bowie's album "Heroes" creep in, especially on the track "Ship Lost At Sea" which includes a jagged rhythm enhanced with some wild drum machine effects sprinkled on top of the songs circus-like meanderings. "Do The Panic"s main hook has managed to be so infectious that I had to stop listening to the record for a while to clean my brains slate for fear of going insane. I suppose that me being a sucker for a good motown beat may be a factor, but that's besides the point! Definitely one of the highlights on this disc.
I can't really find much to fault on this album, almost all the songs are engaging from start to finish with the only possible exception being "Too Much Too Often" (I must also say this song has finally grown on me and I can now thoroughly enjoy it without much to pick at). What a nice balance they managed to achieve on this record, apparently due to an extensive pre-production process they went through, proof-reading and dropping more than 100 songs to arrive at the golden 12 offered here. Hopefully their recently announced hiatus won't result in them never releasing an album again, yet if this is the way they have to go out, Phantom Planet certainly can feel proud for ending on such a creatively high note and for having such an intriguing recording career, something many artists could only wish and hope for.
*This is really more a 4.5/5.0 to be fair, but I don't feel the 5 mark is too far off.
Raise The Dead, raise the music Dec 02, 2008
I have to disagree with other people and say that this album is most excellent. It is a much better than their last self titled album. Their last album lacked any real melodies and wasn't mixed well. This is a much better effort. Their last two cds, including this one, have a MUCH different sound than The Guest. I think people that really liked the guest and were hoping for the same sound, would be disappointed with this cd.
I think that this album brings a new sound and new ideas to a beat-to-death genre. I have to say that this is their most creative effort and comes off really well. Already, this is my favorite album of the year. Each song brings something new and pulls me into the cd even farther. They hit you with some really grungy rock sound, then turn into a poppy upbeat song, then hit you with a nice acoustic light hearted song. It's put together well and there isn't a song that I don't like on this cd. The melodies are very strong and the songs can easily be sung along with (unlike their last cd). I think they have stuck to their sound well. I know people will disagree with me there, but I have to keep saying that this album is excellent and is very upbeat. I would recommend this to anybody that likes the grungy garage sound and just wants a nice upbeat album to listen too.
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Phantom Planet is Better than Before Sep 10, 2008
This rock band has two prior releases: a self-titled release in 2004 and The Guest in 2002, both bringing you alternative power pop rock that sounded like most of the bands in that genre and time. Now they bring you Raise the Dead. It's in the same vein of rock as they have done with their prior releases. They rock with their certain style of pop-post punk infused songs like "Dropped" (a la The Jam) and "You Can Be My Ship" that adds horns. So if you take the Jam mixed with the Clash, then add some songs that change style slightly you have this record, which is why I was more fond of this release, than their others
The title track Raise the Dead has a nice intro of acoustic guitars giving a more moody vibe with the percussions, then comes together in a big way with Alex Greenwald singing with full force. Then you have "Quarantine" a more mellow type of a song and "Leader" which is a favorite on the album, due to it's more deep, thought provoking lyrics. So if you weren't a fan in the past, they were okay, you might want to check this release out because they do put out way more substantial tracks.
Adequate Jul 09, 2008
This would be a great album for many bands but it is simply mediocre for Phantom Planet. After a four year wait I was expecting a truly phenomenal album in line with those previously released (even the self titled effort is brilliant in it's own ways) but Raise the Dead is simply adequate in every sense of the word....for Phantom Planet.
Don't get me wrong, there are some great songs on here---The title track, I Don't Mind, and Ship Lost at Sea are all excellent songs but they just don't hold a flame to the other albums.
Buy this album if you're looking for a great alt/pop/grunge/rock amalgam album. But if you are a die-hard Phantom Planet fan it will ultimately come as a disappointment. They had the right idea by trying to combined the dark sound of the Self Titled album with the pop sensibility of their earlier works...could've been an amazing result, but it just didn't come out quite right.
Here's to hoping they stick around to get it right.
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