Phantogram
Recommended
The New York two-piece led by musicians Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter purvey electro rock that culls elements of trip-hop and dream pop, but has surprising teeth. Their synth textures are thick, fuzzy, and room-filling; the pair makes three times as much sound in a live setting as you expect from just two people. Barthel's sweet soprano can be both ethereal and commanding, while Carter's occasional contributions range from straightforward to pitch-shifted and warped (see: "Turn It Off," "Running from the Cops"). He also lends his pipes to new, big-beat-driven, hope-amid-the-melancholy single "Into Happiness," which apparently "embodies the personal journey that both of us have taken since we released [2016's] Three; it's been a long path, coming out of the darkness and into the light."
by Leilani Polk