Already poised as a Californian supergroup in waiting, PHANTOM PLANET do themselves no harm in etching their name on the public's collective consciousness with this paean to their home state.
Your reviewer did initially have cynical reservations as PHANTOM PLANET'S personal connections (drummer Jason Schwartzman in Nicolas Cage and Sofia Coppola's cousin for one thing) are liable to cut through most of the dues-paying red tape for them.
However, a good half dozen spins of "California" later, such gripes have happily dissipated as the band's natural, semi-acoustic melodicism and that ginormous chorus have both kicked in.
Hooking up with tried 'n' tested production team MITCHELL FROOM and TCHAD BLAKE was clearly a shrewd move as their past experience with tunefully organic rock 'n'roll (ELVIS COSTELLO, CROWDED HOUSE etc) brings out the best of PHANTOM PLANET'S songwriting aspirations, with a loping, mid-paced tune full of subtle colouring. Not as obviously sun-kissed as you'd imagine a tribute to the Sunshine state would be and none the worse for that either.
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One swallow doesn't make a summer, mind, and I'd like to check out PHANTOM PLANET'S soon-come (second) album "The Guest" in more detail before unequivocally running up the flags.
First impressions count, though. This one's worth 8.
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