Review: Disney Reimagines the Nostalgic Melodies of "Phineas and Ferb" with New "Lofi Phineas and Ferb" Album, But Was it Necessary?

Are you looking for a little sonic motivation? With the fifth season of Disney’s Phineas and Ferb just around the corner, let’s take a listen to the new Lofi: Phineas & Ferb album.

For nearly two decades, Disney Channel’s Phineas and Ferb has been inviting viewers into incredible summertime adventures. Originally premiering in 2007, the two brothers, along with Candace, Perry the Platypus, Buford, Isabella, and Baljeet, have made the best of their “104 days of summer vacation" with ingenious inventions and impossible amounts of fun. Along the way, the series has introduced viewers to unforgettably catchy songs, like the incomparable “S.I.M.P. (Squirrels in My Pants)," the toe-tapping “Ain’t Got Rhythm," and the pop banger “Busted." Now, Disney has reimagined the tunes into a new collection of relaxing instrumentals with their new album Lofi Phineas and Ferb.

Lo-fi, or low fidelity, is a popular genre of music made to embrace a more ambient sound. Kind of like listening to a noise machine, lo-fi music has taken off as a tool for productivity. Embracing a more chill and laid back tempo, Disney has brought the familiar melodies of the hit animated series to life in a whole new way. Coming in at 10-tracks long, some of the most iconic songs from the series. The track list includes:

While the album originally released on May 9th, I finally found the chance to listen to the full Lofi Phineas and Ferb album. Growing up with the series, I was intrigued to check this album out. While, personally, I do not find myself searching for lo-fi playlists on Spotify, I did genuinely enjoy listening through the album. I found myself surprised by what tracks translated to lo-fi so seamlessly, like “The Perry the Platypus Theme" and “Gitchee Gitchee Goo." While there isn’t a bad track on the album, I was disappointed by my two most anticipated tracks with “S.I.M.P." and “Busted." While the former was mostly due to its incredibly short run time at only 1:47, “Busted" just lost some of its “umph" replacing Vanessa’s vocals with a whistle-y synth. “Backyard Beach" was also a strange choice for the album opener, with the show’s theme song “Today is Gonna Be a Great Day" sitting at track 8. It would’ve been a much stronger way to set out on this musical adventure. Now if you are asking yourself “why did Disney make a lo-fi album of Phineas and Ferb songs?," I found myself asking the same question. I did not find an answer while streaming the album. While fun, I’m not sure how much this album will hold up over time, and I don’t think I will be itching to relisten. However, if you are looking for some great background music for a good study session and also wanna relive some childhood memories, I recommend you check out Lofi Phineas and Ferb.

The first two episodes of Phineas and Ferb’s fifth season are set to premiere on Thursday, June 5th on Disney Channel and Disney XD. The first 10 episodes will stream the next day on Disney+.

For those looking for even more lo-fi Disney Channel albums, Disney has also released albums highlighting music from Descendants, Z.O.M.B.I.E.S., and Gravity Falls. You can stream all four albums now, wherever you get your music.

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