Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter, the New York-based electronic pop duo better known as Phantogram, make music refreshingly disinterested in pulling punches. With Eyelid Movies, their debut full-length from last year, the rhythm-heavy foundations and a twilight-lit mix of melody felt streamlined, yet still demonstrated vision and character. Taking cues from trip-hop and dream pop (Portishead seem to be an important reference point), they never seemed shy about being upfront with their influences. Despite cryptically nicknaming their sound "street beat," the tag made some sense-- the hard-edged urgency of said beats undercutting such lush romanticism felt perfectly suited for those long, late staggers home. So it's with the appropriately titled Nightlife EP that we find the twosome refining and tweaking some of the ideas put forth on its debut without entirely resting on its laurels, and offering a few of the band's best songs to date.
In a press release, Carter explained that Nightlife "couldn't have been written anywhere other than in clubs and hotel rooms during this experience we've been having for the last year or two," describing the time Phantogram has spent promoting Eyelid Movies. The nocturnal states that often accompany life on the road have proved beneficial in the case of Nightlife, convincing the duo to push their music outside of their collective headspace and into a more social setting. Bands trying to provide an honest snapshot of a night out on the town often fall short by focusing solely on the highs of the party (those are included here too, of course), but Phantogram seem to find just as much clarity in the comedown ("It's a new day, and I got new ways of turning into stone," goes the chorus on "Turning Into Stone"). As much as you can move to Nightlife, moments of austerity and romance are still guiding lights here-- when measured correctly, Barthel and Carter are often able to craft appealing, ambidextrous tracks that feel suited for dancefloors as well as the backs of cabs.
Part of this notably animated reupholstering likely has something to do with that fact that Phantogram have been performing live as a trio, with Tim Oakley handling drum duties. And while Carter is in charge of all things drum-oriented on Nightlife, the temporary change-up clearly made its mark, as Phantogram sounds more like a bonafide rock band and less like the flimsy pop act they could've dissolved into. Take single "Don't Move", a dance track that feels perfectly proportioned for starry eyes in close quarters. But look closer, and you'll find a proper heir to Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me-styled bombast, complete with horn clippings, Middle Eastern vocal samples, and marching band drum rolls. And while the Mazzy Star-esque coda that reduces the appealing bass knocks on "Turning Into Stone" into something plush and more intimate might not be necessary, it all suggests that this is a more realized pop voice willing to expand, experiment with and reinvigorate their sound.
Not everything here is as compelling, but the true takeaways (the first three cuts, including the outsized, life-affirming "16 Years") are well worth the misguided ambition and watered down moments that inhabit the EP's second half. Closer "A Dark Tunnel" means to shade the buzzing urgency of Return to Cookie Mountain-era TV on the Radio but misses the mark; squint hard enough and you'll see that "Nightlife" probably isn't going to succeed in any context outside of a CW show. Unfortunately, this means that, at only six songs, Nightlife's batting average takes a considerable dip. But what remains is good enough to encourage you to root for Phantogram, and to really hold onto those few great tracks that you'll be taking home with you at the end of the night.
