Neil Berthier, the mind and voice behind LA emo outfit Phony, has been a prolific talent over the past few years. After moving to California from Boston during the pandemic, Berthier has taken up residence in several SoCal alternative acts and is currently a touring guitarist for Joyce Manor. In addition to lending a musical hand around southern California, Berthier also managed to release 3 records as Phony since 2020. Most recently, Heater, Phony’s 4th record overall is a short but satisfying collection of jams that hit as hard musically as they do emotionally.
Despite the ins and outs of wrestling a busy schedule, Berthier’s own music doesn’t often sound overburdened. In fact, Heater sounds patient and well composed, leaning on its thoughtfulness and melodic attention to detail over the tightly packed 9 tracks. Throughout the album, Phony oscillates between the head throbbing fullness of distorted power cords and the picked, sometimes arpeggiated reprieves. This is no more evident than in the opener “Caroline”, where the listener is plunged headfirst into the driving intro before surfacing for each of the three verse passages. The track climaxes with a guitar solo atop pounding drums and rhythm guitar maintaining a head bobbing rhythm throughout. “Caroline” is the longest track on the album at just over three minutes, each successive track fruitfully occupying necessary space without feeling rushed or underwritten. Single “Chinatown” flaunts a bouncing drum groove that highlights a fuzzed out bass line that descending into the driving palm muted pre-chorus. The juxtaposition of the rhythmic, bouncy groove and the straightforward rock brings an energy to this track that beckons the listener to move.
On Heater’s second half, Phony diffuses their emotional musings through slower tempos and softer landings. “Roof” syncs up a piano lead melody with a longing vocal performance from Berthier. In the background, the sound of someone moving through a house – shuffling, talking, door shutting – is buried, adding a layer of wistfulness to the lyrics. It’s as if the listener is able to hear the memories as they are filling the narrators mind. Highlight “Water In Your Wine Glass” pictures an apocalyptic love – a comfort that exists only looking inward, indifferent to the surroundings whether they be chaos or calm. The guitars sparkle over top a fantastic drum performance adding tempo and feel to the track. As Berthier sings about laying in bed, describing the worlds natural end – the performance is not a dramatic plea reaching for hysterics but instead a measured, almost stoic tone. Closer “Pass the Ball” is a lethargic earworm turned explosive sing a long propping up the importance of being a resource to others. This placement at the end of the album leaves the listener on a more hopeful note than the insular tracks before it.
Overall, Heater is compulsively listenable. Phony fits right in with the current talents in modern emo, writing songs that sink deep even as they are shouted out.
