It’s been five years since the French pop-rock band recorded an album, but it was well worth the wait. Alpha Zulu harnesses that classic Phoenix sound while adding some new flair. Fans of classic Phoenix albums like Wolfgang Amadeus will be happy to hear that familiar glittery synth and guitar combo that made Phoenix so popular to begin with. There is also fan service for fans of the bands’ 2000 LP United like title track “Alpha Zulu” and “Tonight.”
But what makes this album so exciting, and what perhaps makes it sound so great, is the location it was recorded. In an interview with Apple Music, frontman Thomas Mars said “As a teenager, I thought one day we’d be there.” Where is that? None other than the Louvre Palace in Paris.
“They wanted to have an artist residency for the first time, so they built a studio for us and we’d work from 10am to 7pm every day.”
“We felt lucky,” guitarist and keyboardist Laurent Brancowitz said. “Thomas was stuck in the US for a long time, so when we were back together in between lockdowns, those little moments of work were really joyful. You can hear the joyfulness here.”
Phoenix goes on tour starting March 3, 2023 in Hong Kong and you can view more tour dates on their website.
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