Phantogram - "Voices" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Howling at the Moon

"Howling at the Moon" is a melange of sounds that perfectly encapsulate the Phantogram feel-- this indie-alternative duo have a dark electronic edge that pervades the majority of their tracks and seems to spill into everything they touch. I specifically remember them touring in Canada with the duo Dear Rouge as their opener, and shades of Phantogram seem to show up on their sophomore release as well. But back to "Howling at the Moon", the lyric in question is the first line of the track. Between the percussion and the synth in this one, it stands out from the others on the disc and is a real treat live.

Answer: Black Out Days

Pretty clearly theorized to be a song about addiction, "Black Out Days", seems to track the need, the highs, and the lows that arise from needing to medicate to get through the days. The song lyric in question also acts as the final line of the song (referring specifically to those 'black out days').

The themes of this song seem to carry over into their later works as well, especially their leading single from "Three", "You Don't Get Me High Anymore". The track also appeared on their "Phantogram" EP in 2013 and charted at number thirty-two on the Billboard Alternative Tracks chart.

Answer: I Don't Blame You

One of the only songs on the album to have Josh Carter as the lead vocalist (with minimal vocal support from Barthel), "I Don't Blame You" is a song about remorse, regret, and poor decisions, as it seems to act as a letter from someone already departed (or on their way).

While many of the earlier tracks on the release are in the throes of a rough relationship, "I Don't Blame You", more than others, seems to take the even-darker turn. Unlike most of the other songs on "Voices", this one also features brass instruments.

Answer: Celebrating Nothing

The final track (of four) on the "Phantogram" EP it, along with the others, made the cut for "Voices", appearing as the penultimate song on the track list. This track is another that could be attributed to problems and regrets in love, but more than that the lyrics speak to a general feel of depression, inability, and lack of self-esteem which, considering the tempo of the song, is a bit jarring. Perhaps more than anything, the track is about the push and pull of dealing with the day-to-day.

"Tell myself I'm fine
In celebrating nothing
And all the time I waste
On celebrating nothing."

Answer: Nothing But Trouble

The first track on the album, "Nothing But Trouble", brings the listener down into the depths of "Voices" quickly. While Phantogram's first full album featured songs that alternated between jagged and clippy beats and dreamy melodies, "Voices" was much more fully-formed, establishing a sound that the duo would push even further with their subsequent albums ("Three", especially). "Nothing But Trouble" would be the second single released from this album.

"They're eating all my shotgun smiles,
Yeah eating all my shotgun smiles.
I'm nothing;
I see nothing but double."

Answer: The Day You Died

Another song on the album about a breaking relationship, "The Day You Died" is one of those contenders that never seemed to break out and become a single despite having the general riffs and structure that probably would've been a strong choice for alternative radio. "The Day You Died" also appeared as one of the four tracks on the "Phantogram" EP before the release of "Voices".

Interestingly, this track is the one I've played the most often from the album according to my play count. There's just something about that chorus.

Answer: Bill Murray

Although not officially released as a single from "Voices", "Bill Murray" is cited as one of the earliest releases from the album (though it never charted). A song about depression, this down-tempo track is named after the famous actor, of course. Barthel and Carter originally claimed that the song always evoked the actor's general feel, to them. Synth-heavy, the ballad is a dreamscape that much more evokes the melancholy of "Lost in Translation" than the funny-man's more famous works.

Answer: Never Going Home

While Sarah Barthel's vocals weave their way through the majority of tracks on every Phantogram album, "Never Going Home" is one of the few tracks from "Voices" to feature Josh Carter's voice. Barthel's voice is used as a backing instrument elsewhere in the track, never for the lead. Unlike most of the other tracks on the album (again), "Never Going Home" also has much more sweeping synth in its chorus; it's a much different song, sonically, from the rest, even though it's plunked innocuously into the middle of the track list.

Answer: My Only Friend

The final track of the eleven on "Voices", "My Only Friend" is a raw and emotional one that moves from a lurking piano intro into a sprawling electronic soundscape. This one might be considered a more optimistic track than others despite the sound and feel; it could be interpreted that the song is about the band itself and Barthel and Carter's long-lasting relationship (they were friends since youth), but tied in with the rest of the album, it too could be perceived to be about addiction or love. Or maybe all of them are similar at their core.

"Hide your broken bones in my hands
You've lost your battle.
And I, I had it all, we had it all
And we don't have to ask why."

Answer: Fall In Love

Created with grungy, looped beats, "Fall in Love" is a song about getting sucked in. With Sarah Barthel's vocals playing to the grinding, recurring monotony, it's more a song about pain than anything-- the pain of falling in love, but also the pain caused to someone else in a rough relationship. "Fall in Love" ended up getting picked as the first official single for the album in late 2013 topping off at number three on the Billboard Alternative Tracks chart and number sixteen on the Rock Tracks chart.