Phoenix

The Phoenix Album should come with tokens for a black light, lava lamp, and free pass to a Warhol exhibit, but it doesn't, and really there's no need for these accouterments, as the Warlocks magically conjure up the entire '60s experience from the power of their music alone. Their talisman is the Velvet Underground, and yes, listeners have been here before, with the likes of the Jesus & Mary Chain and Sonic Youth, but the Warlocks are truer to the soul of the Velvets than either of those bands. Like them, the Warlocks rummage through music's past and present for inspiration, then shape them in entirely new ways so listeners can experience the sounds in an entirely new light. This is evident from the opening track, "Shake the Dope Out," ripped straight from "Sister Ray" but remodeled into an almost poppy number via the vocal harmonies and Ray Manzarek-ish keyboards. They're equally adept at connecting the dots down the years and across genres -- the raincoated angst of "Moving and Shaking" and the Velvets/Magazine/Sisters of Mercy fusion of "Cosmic Letdown," weaving together the many musical threads of the '60s into a tapestry that encompasses the entire decade. The octet delights in this kind of subterfuge, and even the band's two drummers get into the act. On "Stockman Blues," they lay down a punchy pattern reminiscent of the kind that brassy beehived blondes stripped to in the '60s. But overhead, the rest of the group slams down an aggressive roar of noise that builds in tension until the beauties are down to their bikinis, reach behind the curtains to pull out their bushwhackers, and slaughter the audience. One can read all sorts of stories into the music; like billowing clouds, the Warlocks' sound encourages free association and flights of fancy, from battle cries of rebellion to carefree moments, psychedelic splattered trips to junkie-esque desperation. Singer/multi-instrumentalist Bobby Hecksher has the amazing ability to sound like a whining crack addict on one song, a tripped-out doper on the next, and the sweetest of pop singers a few tracks later. His soft vocals, embedded deep in the mix, further fire the imagination. The band itself creates a massive, dense sound, fueled by the drummers and the plethora of guitars and keyboards. And while there's a jammy organic quality to it all, Phoenix still sounds tight and organized. It is more than the sum of its many parts, as the Warlocks whip up a '60s of the imagination, making you hear the sounds anew while resurrecting the old before your very eyes. ~ Jo-Ann Greene|