Published by Mason Oldridge, 27 August 2024
After a long wait, Aaron Bruno and his band are finally here with what is likely their final album.
You can tell it’s AWOL from the opening harsh vocals of Bruno playing over dancing keys on opening track and single Jump Sit Stand March, a duet with Emily Armstrong of rock band Dead Sara. The sharing of the vocals works well as Armstrong’s equally aggressive voice matches the abruptness of Bruno’s.
There is a well-balanced mix of heavier and calmer songs on the record from the energetic Party People and the short and brash Bang Your Head to the hands swaying side to side lead single Panoramic View and the chilled out A Letter To No One with beautifully dreamy guitar.
There’s also a nice inclusion of electronic sounds across the album too. I Am Happy features a rap from Del the Funky Homosapien set to an epic beat while When I Was Young contains distorted sounds and a post-chorus dance melody.
Finally, the aptly titled closing track Outta Here feels like a typically AWOL goodbye thanks to its doom-ridden lyrics and lengthy outro.
Overall, The Phantom Five succeeds with its harsh vocals, heavy instrumentation and clean production.
8/10