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The Phoenix Foundation
Horsepower
Young American
Pretend it's 2003. Pretend we all live in New Zealand. If these two things were true, New Zealand would be awfully crowded, but I'd also be telling you that The Phoenix Foundation is the next band to watch out for and that their debut album Horsepower is poised to turn heads both locally and abroad. However, it's 2007, I live in the United States and it's fair to say that those heads have already been turned—four years ago, in fact. Originally recorded in 2003, Horsepower was nominated for Best Album at both The New Zealand Music Awards and The b-Net Awards and the Wellington outfit garnered praise not only for their studio work, but for a series of memorable live performances across New Zealand. And now, thanks to a partnership with Young American Recordings, The Phoenix Foundation's Horsepower is out in the U.S. along with scheduled tours both stateside and in the U.K. On Horsepower, The Phoenix Foundation delivers a collection of deeply melodic songs, which dabble in the psychedelic yet instinctually jump to mesmeric, trance-like beats. Needless to say, this genre-hopping is a success on many levels. The collection moves effortlessly from the tranquility of the opening track ("Sister Risk") to the beat-driven follow-up ("Let Me Die a Woman"). From there it serves up the computerized electronica of "Bruiser" only to then come full circle with the mellow grooves of "Going Fishing" and "Wildlife." The true standout on the album, however, is "This Charming Van," which expertly complements Samuel Scott's floating vocals with elegantly strummed guitars, poignant keyboards and well-placed beats. Traces of the Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd are abound here, but influences aside The Phoenix Foundation are refreshing without ever being derivative.
—Daniel Galleno
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