It was such a bummer that Phantogram’s last album, Ceremony didn’t get its due since it was released just barely after the pandemic was declared back in 2020. I’ve been patiently waiting since then, and it seems like the band had been teasing a new album for years, but we were finally blessed with Memory of a Day and it SLAPS. Totally worth the wait.
Though I did really grow to love “All a Mystery,” “It Wasn’t Meant to Be” and “Feedback Invisible” have been on an endless loop since I first listened to the album. These songs are so, so good. The former just has the coolest and infectious synth sounds, plus the chorus’ lyrics were almost immediately stuck in my head. Someone on Youtube mentioned how it reminded them of their older stuff, and I think it does, too. Not a replica, but a nice evolved version of their older work. “Feedback Invisible” is almost kind of goofy with the drums when you first listen to it, but it’s so danceable that I forgot that almost immediately. The vocals here are so neat, and I always like it when Josh joins in on tracks.
I have been so obsessed with these two songs that it’s hard for me to remember the strong parts of the others, though as I said, listening all the way through confirms how amazing the whole record was. “Attaway” was a song I was treated to a few weeks ago when I saw them live, but I think that song really needs to be heard with some headphones on for the first time. There are a lot of nuances hidden within lots of explosive sounds, so it would have been nice to know what to listen for. I hope I get the chance to hear it again in person.
It seemed to me that a lot of the album was dealing with heartbreak. Certainly still for her sister, but I know she had also ended a long-term relationship. That seemed to fuel the songs “Jealously” and “Running Through Colors,” but her sister always seems top of mind. The title track was in particular quite good. It felt like an appropriate closing track, as it starts a bit slower with some guitars, but by the end there is a swelling grungy sadness to it. Sarah, as always, sounds great here, but this is perhaps the most beautiful Josh’s voice has ever sounded. Another gut-wrenching song is “Happy Again,” which tries to fool you with a pretty upbeat melody, but the lyrics are kind of devestating.
All in all, this was an incredible album and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy in a few days. I’m supremely bummed that their most recently announced tour isn’t coming nearby, but I have faith I will see them again in 2025.