Phils enter new Epoch

By Joe Dwyer     4/15/10 7:00pm

It's hard to believe that it's almost been two years since the Rice Philharmonics released Phils So Good, but rest assured, the Phils haven't been twiddling their thumbs since. In addition to hitting the road twice last year to compete at the University of Georgia and the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, the Phils also spent the last two years in the studio recording Epoch, their next album. Brace yourself: it's better than good: It's Phantastic.Featuring ten tracks and clocking in at a hair longer than 40 minutes, Epoch covers a range of songs from different genres - oldies like The Zombies' "Time of the Season" and Don Henley's "Boys of Summer," R&B hits like Jordin Sparks' "No Air" and alternative rock hits such as Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" find spots in the track listing, as well as the classic "Africa" by Toto and the infamous "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley.

The Phils' renditions of these songs on Epoch will send chills down your spine, or at the very least get your head nodding and your feet tapping. With each track, listeners will find a densely layered, register-spanning sound that has been fine-tuned to perfection. Each voice rings clear - be it that of the leading soloist or the ba-doomp backing bassists - and the tracks are chock-full of busily moving polyphonic parts underneath the main vocals. This is what makes Epoch so undeniably enjoyable to listen to: It's full of songs we all know and love, but they've been put through the Phil-ter, resulting in fantastic covers that can stand alone, without the need for the original track as a reference. Anyone can get up on a stage and sing Justin Timberlake, but it takes a special kind of talent to give the song a life of its own, as the Phils have done here.

The first standout track of the album, "Sandcastle Disco" sets the tone with strong vocals from Wiess College senior Carmen Perez. Her smooth soprano floats across colorful rhythm vocals to create a fantastic track that, in some sections, outdoes the original.

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But it's Will Rice College senior Kyle Clark who leads the Phils through Epoch's blockbuster track, "Viva La Vida." Their arrangement of this particular song lacks the timpani and strings of the original but is actually all the better without them - the Phils still manage to create a goosebump-inducing, soaring rendition of Coldplay's trademark song.

Rounding out the album, Allie Janda (Lovett '09) delivers a fantastic take on Don Henley's classic "Boys of Summer," her voice giving the track an infectiously danceable quality. The Phils' version is slightly slower than the original is, but it's refreshing to hear the lyrics without a driving drumbeat in the background.

Epoch is a masterful collection of impeccable performances, featuring some of the best voices on campus outside of the Shepherd School. Run, don't walk, to the Epoch release party in Lyle's in the Lovett College basement immediately following the Phils' All-Request Show, which starts at 8 p.m. on April 24 in the Lovett Commons. Epoch will be available on sale for a mere $10.

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