Voices by Phantogram

When I saw the album at #25 come up in my collected “all albums of 2014” list, I had to do a double take. I could have sworn that this album came out in 2013. But there it is, with a February 2014 release date. It feels like I’ve been listening to Voices by Phantogram for well over a year. It’s just one of those albums that is always there, and always good to listen to. How is it possible it’s not yet even a year old?

An electronic indie-rock duo from Greenwich, New York, Phantogram has been around since 2007. They didn’t really burst onto the scene until 2013, when they collaborated with the likes of Big Boi (Outkast) and the Flaming Lips, and released a self-titled four-song EP that made it onto last year’s Top 31.

Upon rereading that entry from last year, I see I correctly predicted this new album would appear on the Top 31 of 2014. They’re that good. Sarah Barthel plays keyboards and sings lead on most of the songs, and Josh Carter sings backup and plays guitar, taking the lead on a couple songs on the album. It harkens back to eighties synth-pop, but with less cheese. There are some great, singable songs on the album, and I recommend you track it down immediately.

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26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s