Phoenix marks the second album with Zebrahead for singer/guitarist Matty Lewis. On the previous Broadcast to the World, it felt like Lewis was just trying to fill the role left by former singer Justin Mauriello, but on Phoenix Lewis comes into his own with stronger melodies and guitar riffs. Lead guitarist Greg Bergdorf takes every opportunity to show his soloing skills, shining on "HMP" and "Sorry, But Your Friends Are Hot."

While rapper Ali Tabatabaee's rhymes are still mediocre, listeners really don't need to care what he's saying, just that he has great cadence and his flow fits perfectly with the aggressive backing tracks. Likewise, it's obvious that Zebrahead are not the best band in the world and are in no way trying to change the world with their songs. They write songs to rock and please their core fan base. There is clearly a formula in ZH songwriting, and as a long-time fan, I'm a big believer in the saying if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Phoenix is a great record to rock out to as your summer winds down.