“Produced by the Grammy-winning French band themselves, and recorded in Paris’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs, which sits in the Palais du Louvre, “Alpha Zulu” is everything Phoenix does best: Effortlessly catchy melodies married with always-innovative production, resulting in what is destined to be one of 2022’s albums of the year. Indeed, “Alpha Zulu” — the band’s first album since 2017’s critically acclaimed record “Ti Amo” — is an immediate reminder of what has made Phoenix one of the most beloved artists of the last two decades, reinforcing the band’s enduring (and continued) influence on pop culture.
Working at the Musée brought Phoenix full circle, in a way. As kids growing up in Versailles, they had rebelled against the oppressive French classicism they grew up around — the idea that culture belonged in a museum. And yet, here were four of France’s most important cultural ambassadors, making their next work in such a space. It worked perfectly: Away from the exhibits at the Musée, their studio became a holding space for a jumble of works: Dalí next to Medieval pieces and Lalanne sculptures. “The backstage of the museum is like a mashup,” says Deck. “It’s very pop in a way — like how we make music.”
The new album: ‘Alpha Zulu’ out November 4th –
The Fat Angel Sings 