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26. Three - Phantogram (2016)

Alternative

For an album mired in intense loss and suffering, there are moments of Phantogram’s obviously titled third album Three that manage to feel surprisingly light and airy, conjuring the sense of dreaminess that defined much of their earlier work. But that aforementioned suffering is pervasive and it ingratiates itself into each track like a sickness that’s always evident no matter how deep beneath the surface it lurks. In the case of this album, the searing sadness was fomented by the death of lead singer Sarah Barthel’s sister and the grieving process that followed. Barthel’s counterpart and the duo’s primary producer Josh Carter really shines, condensing the album’s onslaught of emotional ingredients into a sound that encapsulates the diabolical juxtaposition of vast emptiness and constricting claustrophobia that define various stages of grief.

The sense of hopelessness that inevitably accompanies the loss of a family member permeates unmistakably on tracks like “Cruel World” and “Destroyer” which don’t address the loss specifically, but rather channel the pain elsewhere where it’s freed to satiate itself in hopes of healing. Other tracks standout for less despairing reasons. “You’re Mine” is a somewhat maniacal testament of steadfast commitment to a partner, perhaps reading a bit possessive and/or overbearing, but still potentially interpreted as being romantic. “Calling All” seems destined to become a strip club anthem, empowering the working girls as well as anyone who’s ever felt guilty for indulging those more primal urges. “Whatever you do to get by, it’s alright, it’s alright.” Barthel sings reassuringly. The darkness that defines the album is around every corner, but there’s light too.  

*image; cover art for the album Three by Phantogram