Won't knock your socks off January 27, 2003 - Richmond Times Dispatch by Leigh Buckley Fountain Album Review - Round Room Phish's new 'Round Room' has that live feel Pretty darn good for a four-day wrap. Phish, whose members have not played together more than two weeks total during the past two years (they are on a self-imposed hiatus), got together in late October and November and cranked out "Round Room" in four days. Amazingly, these are 12 of what are purported to be more than 30 (!) new songs the members have written together since. Phish studio albums have always been little more than templates for the live versions of each song. This one has more of a live feel, yet an unpolished nature, perhaps not surprisingly, given how it was rushed out so the fans could hear the new songs in some format before the New Year's run. "Pebbles and Marbles" has a subtle guitar fill in the beginning that really gets in your head as the song calmly builds, and the relaxing "Friday" and "Anything But Me" are good examples of the primarily mellow tone that dominates here. "Mexican Cousin," a not-so-subtle paean to tequila drinking, is the album's first out-and-out barn-burner; "Seven Below" has a shaky groove reminiscent of "First Tube's" famously off-kilter rhythm; and "Walls of the Cave" is a rather complex tune that recalls the classical structures of the band's '80s songwriting. Then there's "Mock Song" and "Round Room," both sung by bassist Mike Gordon and both somewhat annoying. "Mock" is an almost dissonant jam with Gordon repeating "It's just a mock song" over and over, and "Room's" lyrics are intentionally off-rhythm in a way that doesn't work, despite its pleasant groove. There won't be any socks knocked off after hearing this album, even as excited as most fans were to get it. It's strong in most places but a bit soft around the edges. But just wait until the band plays these songs live. Copyright © 2003 Richmond Times Dispatch