Maybe it's because it was the first Phish CD I bought, almost the first CD at all for that matter, that Billy Breathes will always stand out for me from the rest of Phish's catalogue. Or maybe it's because it really is different from the others.

There could be any number of reasons why it stands out. It could be the presence of veteran producer Steve Lillywhite. Or it might be a result of what the band is always fond of pointing out -- that they treat each album as a response to the previous. The last release in this case was the very long and jam-filled A Live One, or if live albums don't count it was the blatantly commercial Hoist. This is nothing like those. Although it was approached with an experimental intention (The Blob was a process that involved the band taking turns adding a single note to the mix) the result is entirely accessible. Phish is still very eclectic, but it all comes so naturally that they're clearly just being themselves. There's never a sense that they're approaching a particular style just because they can. Even in the first two tracks, "Free" and "Character Zero" (which are really the only rockers to be found) there's an almost friendly ambience. Every song has actually been crafted properly, without any excess or showing off. Finally, Phish chose to embrace the studio for its strengths and not attempt to treat it like a stage.

Rating: *****