Review | Awolnation - The Phantom Five

⭐⭐⭐⭐Rating: 4 out of 5.

By Felix Bartlett

This is AWOLNATION delivering what they do best. If you’re accustomed to the weird and wonderful world that Aaron Bruno, aka AWOLNATION, has crafted over the past few years, you’re well aware of how experimental his work can be. ‘The Phantom Five’ is no exception, offering 10 tracks that feel like an amalgamation of all previous records. The album provides infectious choruses and hard-hitting bops that, while different from one another, come together to create a unique listening experience reminiscent of a greatest hits collection.

Clocking in at under 30 minutes, the fifth studio album from the mind that brought us one of the biggest tracks of the 2000s, ‘Sail,’ wastes no time pulling you into his world. The previously released single, ‘Jump Sit Stand March’ featuring Emily Armstrong, delivers a dreamy and chaotic intro to the album, setting the stage for a collection of experimental tracks. Don’t be fooled by the subdued tempo—this album provides plenty of chances to bang your head, with tracks in between that give you the chance to digest the themes explored.

@ampedmaguk
The hype is real for @AWOLNATION and their fifth studio album. Here’s our first listen review and unboxing of the new album “The Phantom Five” out August 30th. #awolnation #thephantonfive #vinyl #newalbum #newmusic #fyp #sail #vinylunboxing #alt #alternative #panoramicview #aaronbruno #albumreview #awolnationreview #vinylcollector #rock #electronicmusic
♬ Jump Sit Stand March – AWOLNATION

Amongst the best here is ‘Bang Your Head,’ and ‘I Am Happy (Feat. Del the Funky Homosapien)‘. The former is a hard-hitting, fist-bumping electronic track that kicks off the B-side of the album, while the latter highlights a collaborative effort that celebrates the union of the two artists. Featuring Del the Funky Homosapien, this track evokes a style reminiscent of the Gorillaz. While ‘I Am Happy’ explores the more electronic side of AWOLNATION’s work, ‘Bang Your Head’ delivers powerful electronic guitar riffs and drums, diving into the heavier side of AWOL’s previous work. This track serves as an energetic kick-starter for the midpoint of the album, following ‘Barbarian’s’ mellow end to Side A. ‘City of Nowhere’ continues with a short but sweet electronic bop, smoothly transitioning into the second half of the album and providing a deeper, more emotional dimension.

Will this be AWOLNATION’s final outing? The album presents itself as a collection of greatest hits, with each track feeling like a love letter to AWOLNATION’s previous discography. Punchy guitars, deep electronic cuts, and dreamy vocals are all present, making this one of AWOLNATION’s best but somewhat disjointed works to date. If this does turn out to be AWOL’s final album, it would certainly serve as a fitting end for both new and longtime fans.