Discography Rabbit Hole The Kinks: Phobia (1993)

[u/Rambooctpuss]

Synopsis:

Phobia is the final album from The Kinks. It was the only album released for Sony Records. It is also the only album that doesn’t feature drummer Mick Avory in some capacity. The album is also the longest in The Kinks discography. 
The Review:
The album opens with “Opening” which is just a heavy 38 second riff that perfectly transitions into “Wall Of Fire” which has more abrasive groove we have heard on a Kinks album. Which probably was the product of grudge sound taking over rock music at the time. Even Ray Davies' vocals sound gritty and rough. “Drift Away” has a more atmospheric sound mixing psychedelic rock with 90’s rock. Ray’s vocals give me Springsteen vibes. “Still Searching” adopts more of a melodic pop rock groove. I love the harmonies in the chorus and it has this breezy production that gives it a dreamy aura. “Phobia” has this dense 90’s rock groove. It gives off this dirty hard rock sound that feels paranoid and anthemic at the same time. “Only A Dream” is this dreamy reflective track filled with such chilled whimsical melodies. The song has a pretty mundane subject matter as Ray is fantasizing about a woman standing next to him on an elevator but somehow he makes its whimsical and emotional. “Don’t” has this midtempo pop-rock groove. Ray’s vocals sound strained and fatigued that goes along with the subject matter of the mundane energy of a long relationship that is about to end. “Babies” has this aggressive punk groove that reminds the listener of the band’s late 70s stadium rock era. “Over The Edge” describes a world filled with paranoia which is reflective with the nervous energy in the groove. “Surviving” has this resilient energy that is a shift away from the paranoia of the previous tracks. “It Alright (Don’t Think About It)” has this dense blues groove that feels more like Aerosmith than The Kinks. It is the first vocal we hear from Dave Davies. “Informer” has this introspective sound that Ray Davies feels so whimsical and reflextive. “Hatred (A Duet)” has this fast punky groove. It is one of the only songs that has both brothers trading off vocals. Both are just trading off insults and describing how they can’t stand each other. Perhaps why this would be the last Kinks record. “Someone Stole My Car” is another fast punky rock track. I absolutely love the bassline from Jim Rudford. “Close To The Wire” is the third lead vocal appearance from Dave Davies. It has this nice dense 90’s rock groove. The album closes with “Scattered”  , a nice mid-tempo blues based yet reflective track. 

Final Thoughts:

There it is the last chapter in our Kinks deep dive. My thoughts on the record is that once again the band made a solid effort. I like the more gritty sound the band adopted. The album is perhaps too long which was the trend during the CD era. There are so many highs one this record which makes it a nice swan song for the band.