PHAZZ-A-DELIC | Phazz-a-delic New Format Recordings

De-Phazz – Natural Fake

De-Phazz’s fifth album strikes some new notes. It is both grittier and more gripping, yet still playful and unpredictable. A kind of ‘unironed elegance’ winds its way through the entire musical event – the designer shirt is sweaty, the couch is dusty. ‘Un ange passé’, the previously beloved lounge fairy disappears, dancing barefoot across the tarmac…. Rhythms have become more robust, guitars and rusty blues harps shamelessly push themselves to the fore, empathetic choirs add fullness. Compact songs characterise the album. But the lyrics unfold the typical De Phazz conundrum of irony and tender cynicism.

And so ‘Natural Fake’ provokes unpredictable encounters in dodgy lighting: physical contact, friction; a rising energy level – critical mass is allowed to unfold. Minor irritations are accepted with approval. Compared to earlier albums, the colour dramaturgy has become even more risk-taking. Muddy delta funk, garage chansons brushed against the grain, sound studies thrown down with casual vigour – the new songs illustrate the winding path the band has taken over the past two years. The worldwide stage work has clearly left its mark.