The Guest

1	California 3:14
2	Always on My Mind 3:27
3	Lonely Day 3:41
4	One Ray of Sunlight 4:43
5	Anthem 4:21
6	In Our Darkest Hour 3:02
7	Turn Smile Shift Repeat 5:23
8	Hey Now Girl 2:44
9	Nobody's Fault 2:35
10	All Over Again 3:23
11	Wishing Well 4:20
12	Something Is Wrong 2:08
13	California Demo Version 3:20
14	Always on My Mind London Version 3:22
15	The Guest Live 3:52
16	This Is What You Get Demo Version 4:10

Barnes & Noble

Boldly going where Keanu Reeves and Johnny Depp -- to name but two of his Hollywood kindred spirits -- have gone before, Tinseltown up-and-comer Jason Schwartzman of Rushmore and Slackers earns his Renaissance man stripes by playing a regular rock drummer dude in Phantom Planet. This isn't a vanity project, since the band released its debut record several years before Schwartzmann hit the silver screen -- but that doesn't dispel the vaguely Hollywood aura around the band, with lots of soft focus, careful scripting, and an almost kitschy reverence for '70s power pop. When singer Alex Greenwald stretches a bit -- as on the Radiohead-esque "Turn Smile Shift Repeat" -- Phantom Planet can be quite compelling. More often, however, the band offers easily digested, easily forgotten pop trifles such as the single "California." There aren't many rough edges on The Guest: The band seems to prefer more burnished, airy surroundings (as evidenced by the softly strummed "One Ray of Sunlight" and the chiming, infectious "Hey Now Girl"). Producers Tchad Blake and Mitchell Froom (who've worked with similarly minded acts such as Crowded House and the Bangles) do a solid job of sculpting the band's sound -- emphasizing the charming jangle and keeping the action moving along at a good clip. David Sprague

All Music Guide

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, All Music Guide