Review of Self-Titled Album by The Phenomenal Handclap Band

Review of The Phenomenal Handclap Band's self-titled album released through Tummy Touch Records.

The Phenomenal Handclap Band Self-Titled Album

The word 'collective' can conjure up dull images of washed up musicians reinventing themselves; not so for The Phenomenal Handclap Band. The brainchild of underground club DJs Daniel Callia´s and Sean Marquand, TPHB's core eight are made up of the great and good of the New York indie scene. They include members of TV On The Radio, Call and apparently Amy Winehouse's backing band. Not content with that line up, Callia´s and Marquand are joined by a number of guests throughout the album.

They all come together to create a psychedelic, synth heavy mix prog-rock, funk, disco and soul. The trippy, synth laden prog-rock instrumental opener The Journey To Serra Da Estrela lets you know exactly what to expect from the rest of the album. Effortlessly switching genres, the disco-funk of All Of The Above with Bart Davenport's falsetto vocals raise the stakes in getting the listener dancing; but its infectious beat of previous single 15 To 20 featuring playful lead vocals by Lady Tigra that wins that one.

Flipping once again to electro-rock, they give us Dim The Lights-a gloriously shimmering number, before they drop the pace with Baby, where the soulful vocals and horn arrangement create a very different sound to the rest of the album. The record closes with another slow-paced number; The Circle Is Broken provides the perfect trippy close to the album.

Although the record (running at an hour) can feel a little too long, their eclectic influences, inventive writing and glossy production mean TPHB have created a pleasing piece of psychedelic funk.

3.5/5

Robyn Burrows


Official Site - http://www.phenomenalhandclapband.com

Contactmusic