The Phenomenal Handclap Band gets a leg up on its self-titled debut from buzzworthy guests like TV on the Radio and the Dap-Kings—but one of the unfortunate consequences is that “there's a feeling of anonymity to the band,” writes Paul Thompson for Pitchfork. Nonetheless, when it comes to “buzzing, burbling” dance-floor grooves, the album “is a resounding success.”
“You get about 90 seconds' warning before the groove deepens,” Thompson writes. “And from there, is it ever on: 65 minutes of slightly spacey live-band psych-disco, Hawkwind jamming with Isaac Hayes with percussion from the Incredible Bongo Band. If that sounds like a party, well, it is a party; you'll want to grab a drink and do your damndest to have a good time.”
(More Phenomenal Handclap Band stories.)