gone phishin'
Vermont's Phish, the heir apparent to the Grateful Dead, is back together after a two-year break. That being said, you would expect their latest album, Round Room, to have freshly-squeezed creative juices poured into it. I still haven't made up my mind how I feel about this album, which I think is a good thing. I've had the CD in my car, set on random play, for about the past two weeks.
It's an album more like Rift and less like Billy Breathes; similar to Story of the Ghost and less like Farmhouse. In other words, it's Phish back to their non-radio-friendly selves. The first song alone is about 13 minutes long. The melodies aren't catchy to the point that you're singing them later that day. Some songs seem complex to listen to while some take a simple theme and run with it. Walls of the Cave might just be one of Phish's greatest "epic" songs yet. It's the kind of album that you don't like the first time, but you give it a second chance, want to give it a third and have to give it a fourth. Don't expect to hear another Sample in a Jar or Chalkdust Torture, The songs are mostly slower, easy-on-the-distortion-pedal, and heavy on the instruments.
Rolling Stone, while giving the album three stars, called the album "sloppy" in production. It has a live feel to it at times. There have been sections that I thought sounded poorly mixed, with harmony vocals overpowering the main vocals or one instrument taking up all of the foreground or hiding in the background. Now I'm getting used to it and I sort of like it. I've only been to one Phish concert, but most fans would tell you Phish's studio albums are nothing compared to them live. I'd agree.
*** - rolling stone :: B+ - entertainment weekly
Saturday, January 11 at 6:40 AM
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