Phenomenal Handclap Band, another too-cool dance band to come off the factory line out of New York, attempts to start a warehouse rave with its new album but can’t even get in the door.
Form & Control, the group’s follow-up to its well-received 2009 self-titled debut, never amounts to much more than pretty — but bland — dance pop. The record fails to achieve the band’s simple ambition of party-starting.
From the throbbing bass of album opener “Following,” with its repeated invitations to “come and join us,” Phenomenal Handclap Band over-eagerly makes its case for a good time. And though Form & Control is certainly groovy, it never really becomes anything more than agreeable background music. The sugary dance confections go down easy, but they’re immediately forgettable.
It doesn’t help that Phenomenal Handclap Band seems unwilling to forge an identity of its own. The chanting, modulated vocals seem to be aping Sleigh Bells; the drum machines and atmospherics could have been lifted from any club in Brooklyn. Too often, the band seems content to just be a DFA Records rip-off group.
When the band dips into other source material, there are flashes of inspiration: “The Unknown Faces at Father James Park” stands out with a strutting bass grove and harmonies that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Doors album. “The Written Word” opens with a big rock guitar hook before morphing into a fuzzy, jazzy acid trip.
Though there are a few redeeming moments, Form & Control never feels essential. It’s a party, but not one you’ll remember.
VERDICT: Flashy but lacking substance, Form & Control is a fun but totally forgettable listen.
diversions@umdbk.com
