PHONY Industries
Buy: Bandcamp
Have you ever wondered what an Elliott Smith Christmas song might sound like? I say this, and realize that you could make a case for adding “Junk Bond Trader,” “King’s Crossing” or “Angel in the Snow,” should you be so inclined, I suppose… Well. Where do I go with this review other than saying, “Christmas Eve Day” by PHONY (the solo project of Neil Berthier, guitarist for Joyce Manor, ex-Donovan Wolfington) sure sounds like a great Elliott Smith Christmas-adjacent song. This song shares the same beautiful, haunting qualities I’ve always loved from Elliott, though best compared to his earlier, less-ornate work. The finger picking, the harmony provided by the excellent Julia Steiner from Ratboys, even the quality of Neil’s voice – I can’t shake that feeling I’m listening to a ghost when I close my eyes. That second verse is particularly vivid, especially with that repeated line at the end.
parliaments torched to the filter
on an empty stomach
christmas eve day
it had poured rain
for the first time in ages
took my demons outside of their cages
i thought about you
and how there was
just no way to solve it
success and failure
sound the same
a sweet evil silence
a sweet evil silence
I don’t mean to only talk about comparisons with this review. I just can’t shake them. I do believe that PHONY made something quite beautiful here, and just like an Elliott Smith record, the unflinching introspection does put you in a particular kind of space. Do you like that space? I own every Elliott Smith record, so I sure do, but I know many (my wife included) who do not. But not every song here is for everyone, but every song is surely for someone.
For folks who are on board for PHONY from that first track, “Wedding & Funeral Family,” also has some pretty explicit Christmas imagery, and Neil shakes the Elliott Smith vibe of “Christmas Eve Day” for more of an emo vibe. And yes, there are many flavors of emo, and that is a term that some folks avoid, but the song is worth it.
always on a weekday
come up with something more
than christmas cards i couldn’t save
wish you had
your cardboard box of ornaments
i could help you hang them at 4 pm
just get out the white wine
put on some elvis to remind me of some better time
when all the lights would flash more than red and yellow
we get together but don’t seem to say hello
Did you think the first song was heavy? “Wedding & Funeral Family” takes the emotion to a new level. The record was written after Neil’s father passed from dementia, and I find this song so personal that it feels like an invasion of privacy, like I’m peering through a crack in the door. Again, I find these things interesting and beautiful – and I grant it may not be quite what your mix is looking for, but it might be what you need someday.
Bottom Line: I’ve been creeping on your Bandcamp purchases, and am quite pleased to discover this song, this band, and the Ratboys connection makes it even sweeter. These are deeply lovely and emotional songs for the kind of person that needs a hit of this on occasion.