Phantogram EP Makes Saratoga Shine

An impressive debut from a band on the road to success

Story by Andrew Beam

Who knew that a place like Saratoga, New York could produce such beautiful sonic bliss as the male/female group named Phantogram? While the music scene in the area is currently a hotbed for thriving creative bands waiting to get their sounds out to the masses, Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter were the two to break out from the scene and make their mark internationally.

While Europe is currently enjoying their full-length album, Eyelid Movies, us Americans only have their self-titled EP to snack on for a little while. The problem is, after listening to wall throbbing beats, and hypnotic guitar notes, the five song disc will have you craving for more. Songs such as “Running from the Cops”, a song with a bass grating synth, the combination of Barthel’s haunting vocals and Carter’s panicked, effect laden voice repeating, “My dreams/ they never come true/ but if they ever, ever do/ it’s never you”, proves to be a very powerful force.

To explain how such a large sound can come from just two people, the duo is very electronic based, as they use a vast amount of samples that Carter has comprised over the years as a drummer, along with Barthel on the keys, where she mixes around with a cluster of different beats and synth sounds, as Carter takes to the guitar as well another set of keys. The result is a wall of sound that is described by the band as street beat/psych/hip-hop. In plain terms, it is meant send shivers up a listener’s spine and forces them to bounce around the room.

“When I’m Small” has a vintage static beat that will instantly have a listener’s head bobbing. Barthel tells the story of a lost girl as she asks “Am I underground/ or am I into deep?” While the lyrics are dark and emotional, the depression is masked by poppy atmospheric synth lines. “Mouthful of Diamonds” is a clear representative of this theory, as a motor driven synth backs a contagious beat that refuses to go away. Barthel lightly sings a song of doubt as she pleads, “And if it isn’t me/ then pack your bags and leave/ I wish I could believe the devil’s want to take you back out to the salty sea/ You’ve got a Mouthful of Diamonds/ and a pocketful of secrets.” The band has a thing for creating an eerie tone, but they are also able to rock out and have some fun.

Urgency is created in the song “Bloody Palms” where Carter takes the reign on vocals. It is a more fast-paced, heavier song that is covered in textures of sounds. The guitar takes the lead as opposed to the heavy backbeat, and Carter exclaims, “Someday, I’ll pull my teeth out.” The EP’s closing track, Voices, is a much more uplifting track, as the minor chords seem to be left alone. Carter’s shout will make listeners pay attention, as Barthel’s enchanted voice draws them in and grabs a hold of them. With a pacing, ticking beat, the album ends on a rise.

If there was ever a local band to show support for, the North Country should take notice to Phantogram. They were just recently signed to Barsuk records, a prominent independent record label, and have been signed to BBE, a label based out of London, so they are no longer just special to the Saratoga area. With an incredibly engaging live show, and a full length due out in the states early 2010, this is a band destined for big things. APN gives this album a 4.5/5.

Does this album make you want to dance?