Bruisin' Music> Phoenix Finally Rise

E365 -- If you take a fleeting look at Phoenix, you won't catch much out of the ordinary. A four-piece indie rock band, yeah? Seen it. Aha! But that's where you're out of your water, little one. Phoenix are distinctively informed by musical progression, having grown up and jammed alongside techno-dance ringleaders Daft Punk and chillout masters Air. So what's with the guitar music, then?

The problem with the French is that they don't have a word for avant-garde. Indeed, that is exactly the label that could apply to these boys. Somewhere between Billy Talent and Interpol, Phoenix have been tearing up venues since 1991, and have matured their sound to the point where 2006 release It's Never Been Like That should be earning them gramophones, not Grammys.

These guys are automatically cool because they're French. But what about the music? Well, let's put it this way: their debut album came nine years after they got together. It's always cool offering something fresh, but these guys seem like the type of group more interested in fly fishing than in appealing to a market.

Expect simple, unpretentious music from your stereo. Minimal on guitar effects, and heavy on vocal lines, the group does well for a standard indie line-up. Standout tracks on this one include Long Distance Call, North and Lost and Found.

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