7. Phoenix "1901"

And I'll be anything you ask and more

If The Strokes still existed, it would be a safe bet that they would simply be blown out of the water by Phoenix. Hell, any band working in the disheveled indie rock mode is outdone by these charming French lads. Proving that all those cliche indie tropes don't have to be about snobby posturing but can be turned, so easily into pop gold, Phoenix crafted songs so exquisitely catchy and ebullient that I can't imagine anyone disliking them. As with "Lisztomania," "1901" is so effervescent, so seemingly effortless it's almost jealousy inducing. Heavy on the beats with a synth line that just cuts through, "1901" is glitzy, glamorous and impeccable in its execution. The romance of the lyrics - who doesn't melt a little when Thomas Mars sings, and I'll be anything you ask and more? - of a love that has drifted away, there's beautiful ache amidst the cheery pop. There is something so euphoric as the snyths soar and the guitars shimmer. As I listen to "1901" I want to dance with a special someone, I want the fleeting romances to never end, I want the joy of the track to never stop. If the worst thing I can say about the song is that it ends, then I think they've done their job.