A sleeper-hit if I’ve ever heard one, Eyelid Movies has steadily amassed a loving fan-base since its quiet February release. It’s encouraging to witness, not only because the record is a nearly perfect blend of trip-hop beats and shimmering guitar, but also due to Phantogram’s incredible live shows. I mean, if all of the duo’s extensive touring this year couldn’t shake every indie-lover out of slumber, I was ready to toss in my badge.
A shadowy electro-pop album at heart, Eyelid Movies offers a bit of everything, from the gritty beat-work of ‘Running From the Cops’ and tough basslines (under gorgeous vocals, I might add) on ‘Bloody Palms’ to shoegaze-inspired flights on ‘All Dried Up’. So stunning is its variety and cohesion that I didn’t even test-listen any of it. Phantogram were courting me from the outset and, six months on, they’ve yet to ease their talons on me. Don’t be wary by its allure; Eyelid Movies is truly that easy to fall in love with.
Eyelid Movies is among the few records in recent memory to take an overlong period of time (in this case, four years!) and then prove itself worth every minute. The brainchild of Phantogram (Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel) never overlooks or skims on a golden opportunity, and their resulting success looks likely to continue heating up over 2011. In a flash-interview, Carter and Barthel lay down the top picks and memories of a band on the rise.
SCQ: Every list-lover's favourite question: what are your top albums of 2010? Feel free to include any older yet worthy records you discovered this year.
Phantogram: Beach House - Teen Dream Twin Shadow - Forget Caribou - Swim Oh No- Ethiopium Baths- Cerulean
SCQ: What were you listening to a lot of while recording the excellent Eyelid Movies?
Phantogram: I remember listening to a lot of Snowden that year as well as Why? Madlib, and Flying Lotus. In Rainbows came out then as well and we analyzed the hell out of it.
SCQ: Be cocky for once in your life: what was the finest thing you did all year? That moment where you actually thought "shit, I nailed that..."?
Phantogram:We were pretty happy with the reviews that we got with the record. I remember opening up SPIN to check out what they gave us and was very proud to see they gave us an 8 out of 10. I grew up on reading SPIN so it was a huge honor for me.
SCQ: Effect and Cause: 'When I'm Small' first caught my attention ricocheting off of Ottawa's downtown buildings during what turned out to be the best soundcheck I've ever seen. Okay, your turn: confess a true tale that inspired one of the songs on Eyelid Movies.
Phantogram:Speaking of "When I'm Small" a lot of the metaphors we got for the lyrics were based on a rat infestation in our recording barn. They crawled all around our feet and above our heads. "Lucy" turned into being a character that was based off of a rat.
SCQ: If all the reasonable and implausible ideas in your head came to fruition in 2011, what would they be?
Phantogram:we would love to play some of the bigger well known festivals like Lollapalooza, Coachella and ACL next year. We also want to get the chance to make it out to Japan and Australia. thank you!
July 2010: My girlfriend and I were wandering Ottawa’s market in search of good sushi when we heard live music playing nearby. As we approached the stage at the dead-end of York Street expecting to find a local talent strumming away to no one, the duo’s deep beats and terse electronic beats sent shockwaves through the corridor of these downtown buildings. The song, I’d later discover, was ‘When I’m Small’ but I knew straightaway the band was Phantogram, a girl/boy duo (Sarah D. Barthel and Joshua M. Carter) I’d read of but never listened to. We watched their soundcheck, a pulverizing yet proficient mix of electronics and guitar grooves, found our sushi place and then waited around to catch their entire set again later on that rainy evening.
After such an eye-opening show, I heartily attempted to de-hype my first listen to Eyelid Movies for fear the debut wouldn’t wield the same power or hooks… but here we are. Eyelid Movies lives up to that deft performance, removing all of the random onlookers but keeping the overcast weather with a collection of gritty and soft-sung tunes. The couplet of ‘Mouthful Of Diamonds’ and ‘When I’m Small’ opens the disc like an electronic-pop singles compilation, moving from wound-up dance to gritty trip-hop anthems. These tracks are irrefutable examples of the band's instant gratification, but Phantogram’s best arguably arrives further into Eyelid Movies, where the duo punch-up their beats over more brooding compositions. Although boasting an uptempo beat, ‘Turn It Off’ is a surprisingly reflective piece, with Barthel and Carter harmonizing over a stunning chorus whereas ‘You Are The Ocean’ makes a bid for ballad of the year with a chorus that nearly approaches shoegaze in its wide-open guitar-work.
Its aesthetic, of trip-hop beats, samples, and pristine guitar, is relentless yet shape-shifts with startling versatility, emoting sentimental choruses (‘All Dried Up’) without lessening the grip established by hard-hitting urban tracks (‘Running From the Cops’, ‘Bloody Palms’). With nary a weak track in the bunch, Eyelid Movies deserves recognition as one of the year’s finest debuts. Oh, and word of advice: if you discover that Phantogram are due to play in your city, do not miss it.
