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As ambitious as it is confounding.

With its post-punk/alt-rock sound, Renminbi’s full-length debut, The Phoenix, is as ambitious as it is confounding. A chaotic blend of songs both instrumental and vocal, the album looks to stir the emotions of its listeners, sometimes solely through words, and sometimes solely through music. Brooklyn duo Lisa Liu (guitars, vocals) and SMV (keyboards, vocals) are joined by drummer Jim Archer, to create challenging soundscapes.

From the very beginning, it’s hard to tell just what the band is going for, as The Phoenix opens angrily with “The Shore”. It’s a disturbing mash-up of sounds, as Liu’s guitar riffs scream with ferocity over SMV’s synth keys, while Archer does his best to keep up on drums. There’s just too much going on. By comparison, “A Delay” proves a far better constructed song, the guitar work feeling a little more organic and melodic. By the time the song reaches its breakdown, the spacey electronic accents thankfully aren’t that overbearing. 

For the most part, the vocals on The Phoenix serve as an admirable complement to the musical stylings, but at times, the low moody droning on some of the songs can be somewhat grating. Liu and SMV’s use of call-and-response is appreciated, however, adding a certain level of intimacy and heart to a number of songs, including “Lachine” and “Caveat”. They serve to break the monotony that threatens to plague the album as it reaches the halfway mark.

Still, there’s something about The Phoenix that lacks a certain edge. Liu and SMV certainly manage to set the proper tone, the album playing out like an ominous wave, washing over listeners with its dark undertones and an overall sense of dread. The music isn’t nearly as stripped down and organic as it could be, and more variety and attention to melody would definitely be appreciated. 

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