Despite the absence of a hit single, Phoenix have gradually become a household name across Europe. While the band's early albums enjoyed a moderate underground following, the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and Bankrupt! drew the attentions of a more mainstream audience, as their name grew ever larger on festival posters.

Ti Amo picks up where they left off, only with more of a focus on simple compositions about “love, desire, lust, and innocence.” This record is lacking any elongated compositions such as ‘Love Like a Sunset’ or ‘Bankrupt!’ with a deeper emphasis on pop songs that clock in at under five minutes. With the lion’s share being high-energy, mid-tempo numbers that masterfully blend disco and indie.

Ti Amo — Italian for "I love you" sees them rekindle their Latin roots in the form of a fantasised version of Italy. They are in cheerful mood, singing in English, Italian, French and Spanish and referencing the likes of champagne and mozzarella.

Recorded and produced whilst bunkered down in a former Paris opera house to work on the project eight hours a day, guitarist Laurent Brancowitz explained in an interview that the mood surrounding the French capital has intensified in the years following their previous release, following anti-immigration sentiment and the catastrophic terrorist attacks. Christian Mazzalai was even trapped in the studio during a police lockdown in the midst of the attack at Bataclan theatre. Working on the record therefore became a form of escapism.

Each of the ten tracks have a stand-alone anthemic quality to them, it’s as if every little catchy, synthy section has been shrewdly prepared to bring audio pleasure to the listener. And, as ever, some of the lyrics make little sense, but did we expect anything less from the Frenchmen? From references to melted gelato to comparisons to Siberian tigers, to songs about semi-soft cheese – it’s quintessentially Phoenix.

Tracks such as ‘Fior Di Latte’ have a 90s slow jam ambiance to them with a vibe that will transport you to a chilled out daze in the sun. Meanwhile, ‘Fleur De Lys’ was built around a Fela Kuti beat and first single ‘J-Boy’ starts off with an ominous synth drop before the mood changes and a jubilant track suddenly emerges.

With splashes of mystical synthetic landscapes, solidified beats, funky basslines and electronic vocal effects, it could be argued that despite its instantaneous excellence, the album needs to be listened to numerous times to really appreciate each subtle nuance and the production quality. So it’s as you were with Phoenix. The world may be falling apart but sticking on Ti Amo will present you with a blissful 40 minutes of indie-pop.

Paul Hill

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