A lot has changed for Neil Berthier since he put out his last record as PHONY in 2020. After losing his father to dementia, moving from Boston to Los Angeles, and acclimating to the synergy of the zen-yet-rowdy Southern California lifestyle, things were simultaneously thrilling and devastating as he worked on the songs that would become his third solo album, AT SOME POINT YOU STOP. You can hear the impact of these events in the music, which finds PHONY’s sound reaching new heights. AT SOME POINT YOU STOP captures the thrilling energy of one of rock’s most promising up-and-coming voices at his finest. 
 It’s easy to hear the impact of life in a peaceful, chilled out climate on AT SOME POINT YOU STOP’s poppy, genre-bending songwriting. Berthier’s distinct style is still on full display, but it feels more ambitious than ever before. Berthier might take the spotlight with PHONY, but since his move he’s also played shows with some of the most exciting bands in Southern California. He recently joined Joyce Manor as an auxiliary guitarist and backing vocalist. Before that, he was drumming for slowcore darlings Milly, as well as alt rocker/TikTok sensation Petey. Berthier is living the punk rock dream and he got where he is today thanks to his enduring authenticity. PHONY is engaging with an upper echelon of futuristic rock music and Berthier’s latest may be exactly what the genre needs in order to survive. [Ted Davis]