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Soft Hearted Scientists — The Phantom of Canton
(Fruits de Mer winkle 62, 2026, 3LP)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2026-04-01

The Phantom of Canton Cover art

The latest Soft Hearted Scientists album The Phantom of Canton was originally released in May 2025 on their label The Hip Replacement, on CD and as a download along with a variety of tchotchkes like badges. Keith Jones of Fruits de Mer is a big fan of the Scientists and he felt that The Phantom of Canton demanded to be released on vinyl, but everone had to wait for more music than merely releasing a vinyl version of the CD. Now ten months later Fruits de Mer has released a 3LP set of the album, the full album plus a sidelong reprise of the entire album and the F side containing three instrumentals, all on exquisite transparent sky blue vinyl plus an 8x8 color booklet with surreal artwork, song lyrics, and album credits. Nathan Hall (lead vocals, backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, electronics, and sound effects) wrote all the songs and lyrics. The rest of the band wrote the music: Michael Bailey (bass guitar), Paul Jones (6 and 12 string electric and acoustic guitars and mandolin), Dylan Line (keyboards, electronics, sound effects, and kalimba), Frank Naughton (keyboards, electronics, and drums). The Soft Hearted Scientists first appeared on Fruits de Mer in 2012 and fourteen years later they are still going strong with The Phantom of Canton perhaps being their best and most mature release to date. According to Nathan, the album is a psych-infused album exploring themes such as alienation, lost love, and the price of obsessively pursuing creative projects. The band is unsurpassed in this musical genre and their music is immediately recognizable with Nathan’s poetic skill of writing rhythmic lyrics. Their music blends 60s and 70s pop psych ( with jangle guitars), folk rock, and electronics. The entire album is so excellent that I cannot begin to name significant tracks. So I will just list some personal highlights: the intro track “A Phantom Hello - The Phantom of Canton,” the gorgeous “Foxgloves Song,” the trippy and atmospheric “Fly by Dragonfly,” the massive cathedral organ chords on “Approaching the Canyon - The Canyon (Smile of the Sun Eyed Woman)," the psych music hall vibe of “Wonder Girl,” the shimmering guitars on “The Trapdoor Opens - Trapdoor in the Sky,” and the psych do wop amalgamation of “The Laws of Physics.” The eighteen minutes album reprise “The Phantom of Canton Express” is truly masterful, seemlessly integrating the twelve album tracks. No don’t get me wrong, Nathan Hall is an excellent vocalist, but the three instrumental tracks that close the album allow the band to truly shine. Most Fruits de Mer Releases tend to sell out fast, as the label only issues a limited run, so If you are interested, I recommend that you don’t wait and order your copy today.

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases

Related artist(s): Soft Hearted Scientists

More info
http://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/canton.html
http://softheartedscientists4.bandcamp.com/album/the-phantom-of-canton

 

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