Phish - Round Room January 16, 2003 - The Western Herald By Andy Karl Album Review - Round Room After a two-year hiatus, Phish's pompous attitude corrupted its first album since Farmhouse, as the band thought it could spend only four days recording Round Room -- a Phish rarity that takes you in predictable circles. Improvisational lyrics and impromptu music have been Phish's trademark in past successes. However, creativity is lacking both musically and lyrically this time around; only a few tracks maintain the originality of past Phish work. Only "Friday" and the opening track "Pebbles and Marbles" show Phish"s improvisational talents. Other tracks show creativity but offer little incentive to listen for a Phish brand jam. Page McConnell, keyboardist for Phish and Vida Blue, showed the most promise in Round Room, as his work with Vida Blue catapulted a more dominant role in the new album. McConnell is the only member of the band who displays growth over the hiatus. In "Seven Below," "Round Room," and "Walls of the Cave," McConnell brings a different keyboard sound to the already unique stylings of the band. With slower beats and softer lyrics, many songs on Round Room are comparable to "Waste" and "Prince Caspian" off Phish's 1996 album Billy Breathes. Unlike Billy Breathes, though, Phish's newest release does a poor job incorporating its jams with its lyrics. With the new toned-down tracks, lead singer Trey Anastasio's vocal flaws are more evident, as are Phish's simplistic lyrical talents. Each band member's work during the band's two-year break shows evidence that Phish will be back on track. Phish may have stopped rolling with its post-hiatus Round Room, as four days of recording and limited planning time can't be outweighed by a pretentious attitude. Although with another release like Round Room, look for Pork Tornado (side project of bassist Jon Fishman), Vida Blue and Anastasio's solo work to evolve during another lengthy hiatus. Grade: C Copyright © 2003 The Western Herald