Eyelid Movies [VINYL]

Just as a phantogram is an optical illusion, Eyelid Movies is not quite what it first seems. The sultry, squeaky, breathy electro-pop single "Mouthful Of Diamonds" and the subsequent thudding, looping "When I'm Small" lend Phantogram's debut LP a sense of shimmering, disinterested class similar to that of The Golden Filter.However, the running order then quickly takes one of its many detours, veering into Josh Carter's monotone, which provides "Turn It Off" with an aggressive urban quality when paired with the bass-heavy beats. The track itself is ultimately nicely tempered by Sarah Barthel's sweet cooing.Giddy, high-end guitar peaks run a post-rock finale through several tracks, and a restrained indie trip-hop vein is introduced thanks to the quiet clap-beats of "You Are The Ocean". Buoyed by Carter's delayed guitarwork and occasional vocal, Barthel more commonly takes the lead often carrying proceedings into sunny psych-pop, and less often into darker, sexier, Zola Jesus-like simmering.Eyelid Movies even retreats as far as dirty new-wave synths for "Running From The Cops" and the softly epic "All Dried Up". It doesn't all succeed. For example, "Bloody Palms" verges on indifference, despite its angular dynamism, and "Let Me Go" falters, struggling with the standard laid down earlier, coming across more as an ambient Blonde Redhead b-side than with Chromatics cool. Nevertheless, Phantogram manage to keep the listener interested.It's more than fair to say that where the myriad themes blend, they do so well, seemingly taking slow-bass nods from the otherworldly ambience of The xx. Fractured commercial beats return to steady Eyelid Movies at its mid-point as the frosty electro-pop of "As Far As I Can See" proves. "Futuristic Casket" is not far from being its reprise, differing only in vocal and tapering off towards shrugging banality and throw-away Moby-isms.Forgivable mistreads aside, Phantogram truly have an EP-size amount of quality material at their disposal. Understandable, first album immaturity has perhaps led the upstate New Yorkers to pad out their oeuvre into a comfortable long-player, but more focus on distant glitz and less on safe ambience in the future and success will be no illusion.(7/10)

I personally love this album and so will you. If you like Phantogram and their type of music that is. If you don't, look at other genres. May I suggest Jazz Lounge or Future Soul-Funk. If that doesn't float your boat, why not try some Industrial Grunge Electronica, or maybe something classic and experimetal - maybe Aphex Twin or, if you're feeling adventurous, some Throbbing Gristle? The choice is yours.

Odd mix of amazing and boring. Recommend just buying When I'm Small, Futuristic Casket and Bloody Palms.

Love them, great album.

I have just discovered Phantogram and would recommend this album, some fab sounds!

I love all of this bands music. They should be more well known, but then, I like the fact they're not. Some brilliant songs on here. It's rare nowadays to listen to an entire album without skipping something. I've listened to their albums numerous times and skipped nothing. Brilliant album. Exceptional band.

First two songs are amazing with Mouthful of Diamonds outshining everything else on the album. Rest of the album is okay

Phantogram don't do things by halves. Their diverse debut album showcases gung-ho attempts at pop gone psychedelic, pop gone anthemic, pop gone hip-hop or pop gone ethereal. With each effort they pour in melody and atmosphere and whilst their songs are shaped with similar male-female vocals and delay-driven guitars to The xx, Phantogram show nothing in terms of allowing for empty spaces. This, over time, takes something away from the longevity of `Eyelid Movies' as an album. Individual gems however, `Mouthful Of Diamonds' and `When I'm Small', can be adored as 2010 summer soundtracks - each a perfect slab of rapid pop that immediately lodges itself within the memory glands. A top-heavy record is `Eyelid Movies', but imagine the first half of the album to be an EP, and you've pretty much hit perfection.