I write this review brimming with happiness. Well, that light of day has finally come for the physical release, and without trying to regurgitate what everyone else is already thinking, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is nothing short of brilliant. When “1901” was released on Phoenix’s website (smartest marketing ever), blogs went crazy ( KR included), and this was SEVERAL months before Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was even scheduled to hit the light of day.

With Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Phoenix have become the hottest band (Grizzly Bear included) in the “indie” world (and beyond…SNL appearances, etc.), and rightfully so. You’d think the Frenchmens’ poppy, catchy, accented music would’ve earned them a huge following, but alas, that hardly occurred. Where the hell did this come from? Since as far back as I can remember ( Unitedin 2000 included), I’ve been putting Phoenix tracks on my friends’ mixtapes, thinking of them as one of those great indie unknowns (in the States at least), save for one of their tracks, “Too Young”, which was featured on Lost in Translation back in ’03.

Wolfgang amadeus phoenix album art