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Despite the '80s tag and influences worn plainly on sleeves, Phoenix always come across strangely earnest and never cheesy. [#11, p.98]

Stylus Magazine

Its airily liquid, peculiarly French dance-pop is crafted to be almost entirely unmemorable at first, but upon familiarity grow into a wonderfully subtle, hook-laden album of continent-hopping (sub)urban pop which makes an ideological virtue of its superficiality.

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Drowned In Sound

The most sophisicated, deliciously out of step pop album of 2004.

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Tiny Mix Tapes

Somehow they straddle the line between fluff and absolutely essential hipness that few attempt, and even fewer succeed at.

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Alternative Press

Unbelievably catchy hipster synth-rock. [Sep 2004, p.136]

Uncut

Like Bread produced by The Neptunes. [Jul 2004, p.110]

New Musical Express

As airbrushed as an Athena poster, 'Alphabetical' is nonetheless an emotional experience. [19 Jun 2004, p.57]

Dot Music

Full of heat haze lethargy and sun scorched sing-alongs, it’s a resolutely romantic vision of the all American singer-songwriter as viewed through unmistakably French eyes.

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Playlouder

Chock full of songs that are lounging rather than strictly loungey, cosmpolitan-sounding in a wearing-aviator-shades alongside a large-haired lovely kind of way and blessed with harmonies that fall narrowly on the breezy side of melancholia.

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Blender

These songs create a series of vivid but minimal soundscapes. [Sep 2004, p.140]

Pitchfork

There's something admirable about a record that proves it's possible to remove grit from adult contemporary pop.

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Spin

Imagine if N.E.R.D... were from France and used to make house music before going soft rock. [Aug 2004, p.108]

Splendid

There are some bands who were just meant to be great pop acts -- pop in the George Michael sense, pop in the Fleetwood Mac sense. Phoenix make music that your mom would like, and it's not a bad thing.

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All Music Guide

Perhaps they should stick to singles.

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PopMatters

Phoenix has created an album that is easy to enjoy whilst listening, but desperately hard to love, and impossible to remember.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Tasty bait for those who like their pop glitzy and expensive, Alphabetical is the kind of album that proves perfect when it's playing and hard to recall when it's not.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.0 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

andrew e gave it a0:
this is absolutely horrendous music, the least challenging thing ive heard in years. if you like maroon 5 then youll love this crap.

matt a gave it an8:
A few weak spots (I'm An Actor, anyone? Can anyone honestly say that this track is good?), but for the most part it is great indie/electronic. Several songs sound like singles just waiting to be discovered. Recommended.

Phoebe O gave it a10:
I adore this album...and this band...this weekend I am seeing them in concert in Philly! I'm so excited!!

Nathan Z gave it a10:
Easily in top 10 albums of 2004, it grows and grows....also an act that must be seen live as they are outstanding, "Popmatters" comment was overly subjective and obviously written by some pretentious cretin as the same as "All music Guide!!!!"

greg r gave it a 10:
simple, catchy, poetic, french..

Decepticon Pom gave it a 7:
Bought on impulse as a 2-for-1 double pack with their first album (currently available in Australia), this is a refreshingly warm, lush pop album. Not quite as dynamic as United but very much worth a try. Give it a shot! (Who else prefers to sing "Hocus pocus" instead of "Hopeless hopeless" in 'Everything Is Everything'? - I surely can't be alone!).

Shabar oscar de la gave it a 9:
An album full of contrast. At first it sounds like FM pop but after a few listening you start understanding the sophistication of the musical landscape. Run Run Run , an Hip Hop beat mixes with more jazz and folk influences. Favorite track by far is the poetically induced "I am an actor". Great bootleg remixes available as well. Alphabetical is a natural following to UNITED. Chic materialism yes. But that is maybe more sub pop than a lot of wanna be cool pretentious indie bands.

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