Feature: Trey Anastasio April 30, 2002 - CDNOW By Gary Graff Album Review - Trey Anastasio With Phish, it's always been best to expect the unexpected. And while ardent Phishheads have certainly known what Trey Anastasio has been up to since the band announced its "vacation in limbo" (e.g. hiatus) in late 2000, his solo debut will still come as something of a surprise -- and a welcome one -- to both faithful and casual followers. Marked by neither the improvisation-happy rock of Phish nor the genial weirdness of Oysterhead, his side project with Primus's Les Claypool and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland, Trey Anastasio presents singer and guitarist as craftsman and bandleader. On the album's dozen tracks, culled from 30 that were considered, he demonstrates characteristically broad musical ambitions and virtuosic leanings, this time tempered with a real deference to the songs themselves (as opposed to the mere flaunting of gratuitous musicianship). Not that Anastasio doesn't stretch things out when appropriate. Leading an nine-member band -- bolstered by a four-piece horn section -- he loosens the tether to good effect on the rolling, upbeat "Push on 'til the Day," its lengthy outro housing an explosive guitar solo, and with less success on "Last Tube," a groove-based jam that's hit-and-miss throughout its 11-plus minutes. Mostly, however, Anastasio and company keep things tight and focused, from the breezy soul sweep of "Drifting" and the brassy samba of "Alive Again" to the blues-flavored crunch of "Night Speaks to a Woman," the fierce heavy rock bite of "Mr. Completely," and the loose-limbed buoyancy of "Cayman Review." Anastasio goes for complete change-ups on the gentle, chamberish instrumentals "At the Gazebo" and "Ray Dawn Balloon," while "Ether Sunday" is a soulful, homespun number that wouldn't have sounded out of place in the Band's canon. While Trey Anastasio won't make one forget all the work he's done to this point, it's certainly a laudably complete representation of his artistry -- and something much more than just another Phish tale.