Phish's 'Room' untidy December 17, 2002 - USA Today by Edna Gundersen Album Review - Round Room (2 1/2 out of four) Ending the hiatus that began in late 2001, when the band splintered into solo projects, Phish returns with a mellow, ballad-heavy album that's more spontaneous and less studied that earlier efforts. Recorded in four days at guitarist Trey Anastasio's barn studio in Vermont, Round Room finds Phish in a raw state (not to be mistaken for the freshness and symmetric grace of sushi). Notes are flubbed, vocals waver and most melodies limp meekly inside stately jams. Yet the noodling largely succeeds in capturing the band's live energy and elasticity, strengths often lacking on studio works. The improvisational sprees that dominate musical marathons Seven Below and Walls of the Cave never lapse into formulaic exercises, raising the possibility that Phish hasn't jumped the shark. © 2002 USA Today