Written during tumultuous times, Ti Amo is the soundtrack to a future as hopefully bright as the record itself.
Bankrupt was a good record but there was a sense that the band were often trying too hard to recreate the natural anthemic highs of “1901” and “Lisztomania”. The songwriting and production throughout Ti Amo is more nuanced and has more of the effortlessness that has always made their career engaging.
Ti Amo feels like the kind of escapism Phoenix and their compatriots could use right about now. And the fact that it’s the most summery music they’ve ever made is like a big, red cherry on top.
They cast a loving spell over the listener with their optimistic, almost carefree attitude, providing a cosmic, upbeat antidote to chaotic times.
Ti Amo has a romantic heart, and Phoenix use it to find the bright spots in a tragic world, without losing sight of the tragedy itself.
At its heart, Ti Amo is another meticulously constructed 10-song set of glossy soft-pop romance. Whenever Phoenix get around to release what’s sure to be a stellar best-of comp, a few welcoming standouts from Ti Amo will belong on there.
This jaunty, upbeat offering epitomises the performative youth and exuberance of the group, fronted by Thomas Mars.
While Ti Amo is slow to reveal its charms, there are moments when the cheesy concept – a romanticised version of Italy – is made to seem like a brilliant idea.
Ti Amo is a bold experiment, but Phoenix would be better served by keeping things chilled.
Ultimately, Ti Amo is a quality Phoenix record with catchy songs, an uplifting mood, and a breezy running time that will invite easy repeats sitting on a beach or imagining you were. It sits nicely within the band’s discography and will no doubt be remixed with ease and contribute to summer playlists.
The fact is, Phoenix already made the quintessential summer record eight years ago; for all Ti Amo tries to recapture that magic, the inconsequential sweetness it provides fades as quickly as the delicacy Mars sings about in “Fior di Latte.”
It’s just not the kind of album—unlike Wolfgang Amadeus or 2006’s It’s Never Been Like That—that feels particularly urgent. Maybe it’s a pleasant diversion for band and audience, which is fine—it’s just never much more than that.
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was an album of such refreshing bombast and effortless cool that any future work would surely pale in comparison and struggle to plough its own furrow of success and significance. Regrettably, the struggle continues.
The band took all the wrong lessons from the success of their last album, and doubled down on the syrup. Turns out too much sugar really can make you sick.
I don't really love this album but ay at least good vibes
It's not a bad album at all, just kind of forgettable. The production is great, the instrumentals are great, the concept is great, but the songwriting feels lacking. There isn't much dynamic to this album and I think that is where its biggest weakness lies. Still not bad overall because it sounds nice, but just not really anything that I'm gonna come back to
J-Boy - 7.5
Ti Amo - 5.5
Tuttifrutti - 6.5
Flor Di Latte - 6
Lovelife - ... read more
"Ti Amo" has some catchy hooks and stellar production to boot. Disappointingly, though, it's excessively tame and lacks the energy of Phoenix's previous records.
Fav Tracks: J-Boy, Tuttifrutti, Goodbye Soleil, Ti Amo, Telefono
Least Fav Tracks: Fleur De Lys, Via Veneto
Score:
6.1
Fine
J-Boy - 7.5/10
Ti Amo - 8/10
Tuttifrutti - 7.5/10
Fior Di Latte - 8/10
Lovelife - 10/10
Goodbye Soleil - 7.5/10
Fleur de Lys - 9/10
Role Model - 7.5/10
Via Veneto - 7.5/10
Telefono - 7/10
It has it's moments, but as a whole Ti Amo thoroughly fails to live up to its predecessors.
1 | J-Boy 4:07 | 66 |
2 | Ti Amo 3:25 | 73 |
3 | Tuttifrutti 3:52 | 59 |
4 | Fior Di Latte 4:03 | 63 |
5 | Lovelife 2:31 | 59 |
6 | Goodbye Soleil 3:55 | 60 |
7 | Fleur de Lys 3:43 | 63 |
8 | Role Model 4:35 | 53 |
9 | Via Veneto 2:41 | 51 |
10 | Telefono 3:43 | 64 |
#16 | / | Les Inrocks |
#38 | / | Q Magazine |
#42 | / | Uproxx |
#43 | / | Consequence of Sound |
#43 | / | NME |
#69 | / | Under the Radar |
/ | Esquire (UK) |