Phantom Planet: Alex Greenwald, Jacques Brautbar (vocals, guitar); Sam Farrar (vocals, bass); Darren Robinson (guitar); Jason Schwartzman (drums).

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.

Personnel: Jacques Brautbar, Alexandra Greenwald (vocals, guitar); Sam Farrar (vocals).

Audio Mixer: Tchad Blake.

Recording information: Alexander Greenwald's Bedroom (1999-2003); Olympic Studios, London, England (1999-2003); Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, CA (1999-2003); Weir Brothers Studios (1999-2003).

Photographers: John Dunne; Mike Myerburg; David Raccuglia.

While an increasing number of up-and-coming artists are making a name for themselves by blurring the lines between rock, metal, rap, soul, dance, country, and about any other musical style you can think of, Phantom Planet is sticking with rock & roll. Pop/rock, if you want to split hairs, but isn't that basically redundant? Ironically, with the defection of so many artists to hybrid genres, The Guest comes off sounding incredibly fresh. It's hard to think of too many contemporary bands that are making such unapologetically sunny, pop-tinged rock & roll. Take the punk out of Weezer, the kitsch out of Fountains of Wayne, or the Strokes out of the garage, and you come pretty close. The album opens strong with four infectiously upbeat tracks that are singalongs waiting to happen. The songs are well-crafted and impressively mature for a band whose members are scarcely legal drinking age. The only misstep is the schmaltzy "Anthem," in which lead singer Alex Greenwald muses about writing a song that the entire planet falls in love with. The rest of the album flirts with some electronic touches, but never deviates too far from the original course. Greenwald's vocals remain heartfelt and confident throughout, although he seems to be channeling Thom Yorke in his quieter moments, such as "Turn Smile Shift Repeat." Phantom Planet distinguishes themselves by not being afraid to make a lush, textured album that avoids sounding glossy or overproduced. The use of strings and keyboards is subtle but effective. Indeed, the first single and opening track "California" employs a vital piano hook to hold the song together. What holds the entire record together, however, is Phantom Planet's knack for feel-good tunes with melodies that bounce into your head and stay there. ~ Mark Vanderhoff

Bright-eyed and bold with a vibe that feels like they've been suckling at the collective power-pop teat of Todd Rundgren and the Raspberries, Phantom Planet belies the fact that within their ranks reside a pair of actors (Jason Schwartzman of RUSHMORE fame and DONNIE DARKO's Alex Greenwald). For its sophomore bow, the Left Coast quintet teams with producers Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake to deliver delectable pieces of ear candy like the anthemic "California," jangly New Wave nugget "Hey Now Girl," and soaring, hook-laden "Lonely Day."

When the lads venture outside the land of delectable harmonies and sweetly innocent themes, they come up with mixed results. The low-key ruminations of "Turn Smile Shift Repeat" finds Greenwald successfully walking down the same dour path as Thom Yorke, but the dissonant clanging of "Wishing Well" might have been better left out. Early pressings include a bonus disc of in-concert versions of "California" and "Do The Panic" (featuring Pete Yorn).

While an increasing number of up-and-coming artists are making a name for themselves by blurring the lines between rock, metal, rap, soul, dance, country, and about any other musical style you can think of, Phantom Planet is sticking with rock & roll. Pop/rock, if you want to split hairs, but isn't that basically redundant? Ironically, with the defection of so many artists to hybrid genres, The Guest comes off sounding incredibly fresh. It's hard to think of too many contemporary bands that are making such unapologetically sunny, pop-tinged rock & roll. Take the punk out of Weezer, the kitsch out of Fountains of Wayne, or the Strokes out of the garage, and you come pretty close. The album opens strong with four infectiously upbeat tracks that are singalongs waiting to happen. The songs are well-crafted and impressively mature for a band whose members are scarcely legal drinking age. The only misstep is the schmaltzy "Anthem," in which lead singer Alex Greenwald muses about writing a song that the entire planet falls in love with. The rest of the album flirts with some electronic touches, but never deviates too far from the original course. Greenwald's vocals remain heartfelt and confident throughout, although he seems to be channeling Thom Yorke in his quieter moments, such as "Turn Smile Shift Repeat." Phantom Planet distinguishes themselves by not being afraid to make a lush, textured album that avoids sounding glossy or overproduced. The use of strings and keyboards is subtle but effective. Indeed, the first single and opening track "California" employs a vital piano hook to hold the song together. What holds the entire record together, however, is Phantom Planet's knack for feel-good tunes with melodies that bounce into your head and stay there. [The Guest was reissued in 2003 with a new cover design and the addition of four bonus tracks: demos of "California" and "This is What You Get", a live take on "The Guest" and a different version of "Always on My Mind".]~ Mark Vanderhoff