Phil the Band’s sound keeps on crossing my mind. They reached out to me months ago about their single “Before You Die” and again today with a new upcoming single. I fell in love with my first listen and asked them to send me a copy of their full ‘Phoenix Sun’ EP to review. Like many other bands and artists, their CD has just been sitting on my desk waiting for me to find the time of day to give it the attention that it deserves. Although finding the time of day is still next to impossible, I have decided that now is a good time to stop everything and check this out because I just need to hear more than just the one song from them and am anxiously awaiting being able to share their new single with you early next month so let’s jump into this five-song EP!
“Blistered” gets things started off right. Powerful and anthemic, Phil the Band isn’t afraid of short songs and somehow knows just how to utilize every second perfectly. Although this opening track is under three minutes long, it really gives you a taste of these guys’ sound. The vocals have an almost 90’s feeling to them with this little grunge tone but the overall instrumentation is nothing short of powerful and infectious rock music. This blend makes for a memorable sound and one that just has this larger-than-life feeling to it.
Second up on this EP is “Before You Die” which is that song that came across my computer months ago and had me hooked. The beginning of this track has very strong Social Distortion vibes what with the tone of the opening guitar part but the song quickly shifts to that distinct Phil the Band sound as the vocals come and take over. Although a bit more of a tender track vocally when compared to “Blistered”, there’s no shortage of energy in this song and I love the power that comes with it. Sure, there are moments in this track where the vocals feel like they may be a bit flat or out of tune but honestly, it didn’t bug me as much as that usually does just because of the heart and soul that comes through so loud and clear with every word during this song.
Although I thought for sure that “Before You Die” would be my favorite track on this album, the title track “Phoenix Sun” quickly stole away that title. There’s something just a bit more pop-punk and almost angsty about the overall delivery of this song. Don’t get me wrong, this is still distinctively that of Phil the Band but there’s just this almost playful nature that comes with a sharp tongue that I just could not get enough of. Sadly, this is also the shortest track on the EP at just under two and a half minutes and, before I knew it, the album had rolled onto “Stuck on You”.
“Stuck On You” is another more tender track a la the style of “Before You Die” but it just has a bit more of a polished vibe to it and a super infectious guitar line. Although not super in your face, the amount of power that comes with every single note in this track is staggering but, again, this song is super short and I feel like as soon as I was starting to find the right words, the album shifted to the final track “All I Need”
This final track has some of the same vibes laid out in “Stuck On You” while still showcasing the many sides of this band. I feel like this final song is the perfect culmination of the previous tracks. There’s that tenderness that continues through the very end of the album but this song also brings a bit more of that angst felt in “Phoenix Sun” while having that anthemic power that started the album in “Blistered”. Although not my favorite track on the album (there’s really no beating “Phoenix Sun”), if you only have a couple of minutes to check this band out, I highly suggest checking out “All I Need”!
My Favorite Track(s): “Phoenix Sun”
For Fans Of: 90’s Vibes; Anthemic But Subtle Power
Mosh-ability: 4 out of 10
What My Cats Thought Of It: Artie slept on the back of the couch; Autumn slept upstairs
How Badly I Want To See This Performed Live: 7 out of 10
My Overall Rating: 7.2 out of 10
Check Out Phil the Band Here:
Shameless Self Promotion- Join My Patreon Here!
Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)
Check Out My New Playlist With All of My Favorite Songs HERE!
1 Pingback