Phoenix: United : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

The Seventies were a great-looking decade in France -- think white bell-bottoms and The French Connection. Phoenix are a Paris band whose command of the blue- eyed soul, pop disco and country rock of that decade is pure genius. The quartet crawls so far into these genres that it sidesteps other bands' retro shtick. The best of the songs is "Too Young," a bright, up-tempo track that looses thick ribbons of melody, loud syncopations, fancy-free choruses and synth rhythms swiped from Van Halen's "Jump." The spectacular "Honeymoon" is first-class Hollywood country dust; the pop soul of "On Fire" surges and swirls. Thomas Mars Jr. sings in plush unbroken English, managing the necessary passion to restage Seventies pop heaven with only a slight wink. Phoenix may not evince the booming personality of a great band, but United leaves some fantastic impressions. (RS 852)

JAMES HUNTER