Phantom Planet, 'Raise the Dead' (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic)
Hollywood hunks resurface after The OC, get the bends.
By Mikael Wood 05.15.08 3:09 PM
Now that they're labelmates with Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco, you might expect these well-connected L.A. dudes to go new-school emo on the belated follow-up to their 2004, self-titled breakthrough. Instead, Phantom Planet aim for Radiohead-inspired art rock: "Quarantine" throbs with seasick guitars and a tortured vocal from frontman Alex Greenwald, while "Confess" works up to a "Paranoid Android"–style freak-out. It's an impressive show of maturity, but Raise the Dead works best when power takes a backseat to pop.
