The pandemic and loss put French band Phoenix into the mindset of joy - celebrating their friendship after decades of playing together and looking ahead to a brighter future on their new album Alpha Zulu.

Frontman Thomas Mars was a world away from France and his bandmates while they were under lockdown. That isolation - amidst the intense wildfires in Northern California - kicked off an album that tries to break out of the desolation. The music became a form of communication between the members of Phoenix.

That push to break free of the stillness and quiet of the pandemic resulted in a kaleidoscope of colorful songs from Phoenix on Alpha Zulu.