It's Never Been Like that

Third album from the meticulous French band finds its members loosening their ties, unbuttoning their cuffs, and coming across as the soft-rock Strokes.

For almost a decade, French guitar-pop band Phoenix has been haphazardly balancing theory and pleasure, coming on one moment like rhythm-for-rhythm's-sake conceptualizer Spoon, and the next like disco-fied '70 soft-rocker Starbuck. Phoenix's first two studio albums—2000's United and 2004's Alphabetical—were dotted…

<p>; The reborn Parisian pop-rockers party like it's 1978-ish</p>

Phoenix is one of those bands that are easily devoured, quietly admired, and chronically overlooked.

Phoenix is a band still looking for its way.

Album Reviews: Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That

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