Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
by Phoenix
User Score
8.8

Universal acclaim- based on 189 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 176 out of 189
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 189
  3. Negative: 4 out of 189

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  1. MehMeh
    Jun 30, 2009
    6
    A fun album, but the audio equivalent of a beach novel. Basically sounds like _Is This It_ with a bit more polish and pop. Not worthy of the hype, but worth the $7 I got it for at Target.
  2. JakeW
    Feb 2, 2010
    5
    Am I the only person who doesn't get this album? I really want to like it, everyone else seems to, but I just find it... dull?
  3. OliverF.
    Dec 31, 2009
    6
    Sort of a summer record. You can put it on without bumming your friends out, or yourself. However, if you listen to it on your own, there is dreadful sense of every vocal line sounding the same. Let's face it, it is pretty samey.
  4. WeezyBreezy
    Jun 4, 2009
    6
    If this band comes through my hometown, or even a neighboring city, I'll go the distance to see them, because I bet it will be a killer show and a few dollars well spent for a good night of uptempo rockin' out. But this record is an extremely well-executed re-tread of old indie pop rock territory at best, combining Strokes-inspired American Rock vocals with the uptempo 4/4 If this band comes through my hometown, or even a neighboring city, I'll go the distance to see them, because I bet it will be a killer show and a few dollars well spent for a good night of uptempo rockin' out. But this record is an extremely well-executed re-tread of old indie pop rock territory at best, combining Strokes-inspired American Rock vocals with the uptempo 4/4 lifeless sheen of British indie rock. The British influence is quite clear, and in fact you'll note that reviewers from across the pond are the ones giving this record the chilliest reception, because they've learned the hard way to distrust indie-pop polish as a sign of greatness (or one hopes they have). A few good singles for the dance floor do not earn a 10 (or even an 8). The most redeeming quality of this record is the lyrics, which carry much more pleasing (actually, wonderfully intelligent) nuance than this music usually attempts, good enough, in fact, to push it into the 8s if it weren't for the fact that they're all delivered over basically the same musical vehicle, which incapacitates great lines like "Do you remember when 21 was young" by drawing attention to the fact that this band is aging and still hasn't figured out a way to put their greatest strength at the forefront. Just a little quietness or a little more swagger, a shift or disruption of the pounding 4 on the floor, a little break from the Strokes-esque removal with which all the lyrics are delivered would push this to greatness. This fairly serious misstep earns Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart a 6 in my book instead of the 7 I want to give out for those lyrics. This record will be fun for a good long while (read: 3-4 months), and then the next thing will come along. However, until that happens, I intend to happily soak this record up in all its arpeggio'd glory and get my dance on.… Collapse
  5. KeithG
    Apr 25, 2012
    6
    Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is a peppy albums with upbeat tracks like "1901" and "Armistice". However, I find that the songs lack the complexity to really remain interesting over dozens of hearings. They're great the first couple of times through, but they lose their charm later.
  6. alecvl08
    Oct 13, 2014
    6
    Guys, calm down. WAP is not the masterpiece everyone says it is. The first two tracks, being Lisztomania and 1901 are awesome, but the rest are just standard, relatively uninteresting, and poorly executed pop songs. This is just average.

Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Best Album of 2009
33
#33 Most Discussed Album of 2009
3
#3 Most Shared Album of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. cokemachineglow
    84
    It’s an approximation of what perfection might mean, which is: precise, lean, deliberate. There’s not a wasted moment here, and not one moment overstays it’s welcome, which from a bunch of aristocrats (I get) is pretty frickin’ rich.
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  2. musicOMH.com
    80
    Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is a slender, fat-free affair, all Gallic swerve and subtle swagger. This may well be the album to broaden their fan-base wider then the fashionable glitterati.
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  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    The real star of the show isn’t the often-bloodless figure of Thomas Mars, it’s the brilliantly detailed production, centred around the dovetailing drum and guitar chops, best heard via headphones for the full stroboscopic effect.
    Read full review
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