A dash of devilish vitality February 21, 2003 - New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) By R.S. Murthi Album Review - Round Room *** 1/2: Although it built its reputation as a band that thrives in onstage jams, Phish can be playfully exploratory in the studio, too. This latest album, which marks the outfit's return to the scene after a two-year hiatus, offers ample proof of that. It may not be as rousingly energetic as the numerous live recordings the group has issued over the years, but most the songs on the set are informed by a devilish improvisational vitality. Some of the tracks do go on and on, though like the Grateful Dead at its most exuberantly expansive, Phish adds interesting twists to its vamp-extending exercises. And technically imperfect as things sometimes sound, guitarist-singer Trey Anastasio, keyboardist Page McConnell, bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman always perform with the searching spirit of a jazz band moving in and out of shifting modes on such pieces as Pebbles And Marbles, Seven Below and 46 Days. In any case, for an album recorded over just four days, Round Room is astonishingly cohesive and focused, even if the hippy-dippy Deadhead lyrics border on the hysterically nonsensical at times. Review Copyright © 2003 New Straits Times Press