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Fans of Phoenix will rejoice that global indifference to their last album hasn't prompted any major changes in their sound. On 'Alphabetical', their second attempt to revive the soft AM rockisms of a bygone era, the mood remains pretty much the same. Blended against crème fraîche harmonies and treated with subtle filters, it straddles each song with enough personality to carry the project, although you can't help feeling stronger melodies might have helped. For comparisons think Ben Folds Five, Hall & Oates, Eels even. There's even a hint of Dean Freidman in there somewhere, but that's no bad thing.