- Record Label: Friendly Fire
- Release Date: Jun 23, 2009
The Phenomenal Handclap Band
Your Score
0
out of 10
User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings
- Summary: The debut album for the New York group started by Daniel Collas and Sean Marquand.
- Record Label: Friendly Fire
- Genre(s): Indie, Rock, Dance
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
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Positive: 7 out of 11
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Mixed: 4 out of 11
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Negative: 0 out of 11
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This is a party album, whose two centrepieces--the proto-disco drone of You Disappear, and the playground chant of 15 to 20--are irresistible invitations on to the floor.
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Collas and Marquand hold things down with DJ tightness, while members of bands like TV on the Radio and The Dap Kings let loose in the grooves.
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This album encapsulates the nostalgic elements of ESG, ELO, Tom Tom Club, The Doors and Sly And The Family Stone, applies a gloss of New York cool and then re-packages it with the modern production of the LCD Soundsystem, CSS and Beck variety. Forget the handclap, they'll take a standing ovation.
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PHB's sense of style is spot-on, but the anemic tunecraft on The Phenomenal Handclap Band is unlikely to impress fans of the O'Jays or Curtis Mayfield.
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I wouldn't necessarily recommend the LP for anyone who can't make an hour on the treadmill, but there are a few tunes here worth hearing. Too bad you can't exactly make out who's cranking them out.
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It's hard to get excited about music which never gets too excited itself. What good ideas The Phenomenal Handclap Band do have are spread a little thinly on this debut.
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Overall The Phenomenal Handclap Band, despite its talented cast and ambitious reach, can't quite pull all threads together. Next time, maybe, with more hand claps.
Score distribution:
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Positive: 0 out of
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Mixed: 0 out of
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