New Phish is far out, man January 13, 2003 - Winnipeg Sun by Darryl Sterdan Album Review - Round Room Toss your hackeysacks aloft in celebration and waggle your dreads with joy, hippies -- the jam-masters of Phish are finally back after a much-lamented two-year hiatus. And here's good news for the rest of us -- the return of Trey Anastasio and co. is worth celebrating even if you don't own a VW van and tapes of every Dead gig. The 12-song Round Room is a dandy little affair that balances the band's propensity for musical flights of fancy with more down-to-earth elements like choruses and hooks. Older fans will be seduced by tracks like the 11-minute opener Pebbles and Marbles (which evolves from a gently contemplative verse to one of the band's trademark jam excursions) and the Byrdsy jangle of the equally long closer Waves; meanwhile, those who prefer their tunes a little tighter will dig the sharp-edged Stonesy roots-rock of 46 Days and the shambling country honk of Mexican Cousin. And both camps will appreciate the underproduction of Bryce Goggin, who keeps the vibe warm and doesn't try to smooth out the group's rough edges with slick knob-twiddling. With Round Room, it seems Phish have turned a new corner. Copyright © 2003 Winnipeg Sun