Since the alarming rise of Mallory Knox, it appears a few bands from the Cambridge area are hopping on the pop-rock radio wagon. Phoenix Calling, a five-piece hailing from Peterborough, are one such group. In the three short years that they’ve been around, these guys released their EP entitled ‘Waves’, and have hit the road more times than some people can be bothered to count in support of their release, supporting acts such as The First, Tu Amore, We Are Fiction, and more.
And now, they’re back for another round, with their debut album ‘Forget Your Ghosts’. Taking influence from the emotive, honest lyrics of Deaf Havana, and the earth-shattering song structures from both Mallory Knox and Fightstar, these guys have created a cutting album. Singles such as ‘Bring the Roof Down’ and ‘Everybody Knows’ are packed with gritty riffs and a rush of adrenaline. The latter is thoughtfully written, with lyrics such as, “I’ve started all the clocks to lose the time we gave away from now” – Phoenix Calling know how to create heartfelt and thought-provoking songs, whilst maintaining the feeling that these songs wouldn’t fail to make venues sweat and sing a-long.
Tracks such as ‘Hold Onto Glory’ showcase frontman Steven Chapman’s strong vocals; they’re sweeping and mighty, making tracks such as this one absolutely soar. Their choruses are big and bouncy, complemented with melodic hooks, as shown during ‘We Were Young’ – their craftsmanship makes songs such as this and ‘Still We Wait’ huge. Then there’s closing track ‘These Days’, which takes a slower turn – a welcome change of pace after all the emotionally-charged rock songs Phoenix Calling have been churning out. However, they still maintain a strong, solid foundation, making sure that this album makes an impact.
Whilst ‘Forget Your Ghosts’ is a very, very good debut album, there’s still an underlying, niggling feeling that there’s nothing here that will make this album a memorable one. It’s a shame, but such is the nature of the music industry these days. However, saying that, if Phoenix Calling carry on working hard and pushing themselves to get some amazing support slots with bigger bands, extending their fan base in the process, then who’s to say that these guys won’t be the next big band that BBC Radio 1 will be crowing about? They have all the makings of being the next big thing; they just need to find that something special that’ll make them stand out, and make a whole nation fall in completely and utterly in love with them.
JESS TAGLIANI