This has been a heck of a year for Aaron Bruno (aka AWOLNATION). From starting and releasing singles with a new hardcore band called The Barbarians of California (seriously check them out), to celebrating the 13th anniversary of Megalithic Symphony and the RIAA Diamond Certification of Sail, Bruno’s done it all, including releasing AWOLNATION’s fifth studio album, The Phantom Five, out August 30.
At its core, The Phantom Five is a love letter to who you were, as well as who you are currently. With each and every song, Bruno embraces the band’s musical history, variations of style, and soundscapes he’s explored over the past 15 years. It’s an agglomeration of every AWOLNATION record he’s released, and yet, it never once feels predictable or repetitive.
Opening with the antithesis of a protest song, “Jump Sit Stand March” is about “overstimulation and being frustrated with having to please everybody’s virtues,” says Bruno. Featuring Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara, the added vocals make for an extra layer, giving texture to both the chorus and the verses, complimenting both one another and the essence of the song.
Circuitous, “Party People” comes out swinging with the lyrics “Don’t ever trust the televised bastards.” With a catchy chorus, Bruno declares, “Let the people party. Let them do what they want. Let the party people party. Let them do what they want.” The bridge, featuring the bombastic bass AWOL fans have come to know and love, is the high point of the song.
Musically reminiscent of “Pacific Coast Highway in the Movies” from AWOLNATION’s last record, Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders, the single “Panoramic View” makes you feel like you’re floating. Sentimental and soft, Bruno sings that he’s a romantic fool and believes in magic—a lyric that resounds to its core with a melancholic feel.
“I am Happy” features Del the Funky Homosapien. At times, this single brings to mind “Knights of Shame,” a track from AWOL’s breakout album Megalithic Symphony, with its hard-wired synths and sweeping mood changes, making it one of the highlights of the record.
“Barbarian” begins with a Lou Reed-like intro of “Do do do’s” (think “Walk on the Wild Side”), while “Bang Your Head” quite literally ups the ante with its accelerating speed throughout the entire song. Showing a mark of high class musicianship, the band never gets out and runs away with the tempo, always keeping it in control. Begging to be danced to, “Bang Your Head” drops off out of nowhere …”City of Nowhere” that is. “City of Nowhere” is a short and sweet—yet incredibly confident—song that leaves listeners wanting more.
In “Letter to No One,” Bruno confides to listeners that, “I like gloomy weather. It’s my guilty pleasure.” “When I Was Young,” on the other hand, is a cry for the nostalgia of youth, when everything was simpler and more colorful. Bruno sings that the world keeps spinning, making him dizzy; he wants to get off … and he does, with “Outta Here,” an emotional album closer that ends in a plea. “Outta Here” is a song of deceit in the best way possible; you think it’s going to go one way and goes another entirely.
Above all, this record is for the fans who have been with AWOLNATION over the years and will no doubt have a blast pinpointing the inspiration from older songs. Bruno has once again outdone himself, proving that AWOLNATION is so very much more than just Sail.
Photo courtesy of AWOLNATION
