Leader of Phish swims solo on new album April 25, 2002 - The Oklahoma Daily by Hilton Price Album Review - Trey Anastasio Phish is back! Actually, that’s not true, but it ensures I have the attention of those to whom this new album most importantly applies. Trey Anastasio, band leader for the jam-band juggernaut that was Phish, has finally released his solo debut, aptly titled Trey Anastasio. Does this effort match the work put out by Trey when in the comfort of his Phish bandmates? Yes! Does it have the power to rope in the legions of nay-sayers who have long downplayed Anastasio’s talents? Yes, but not for any of the reasons we’d want them to. Read on, and learn more. Trey Anastasio brings together Anastasio’s knack for fat and funky guitar — a skill well emphasized during his time with Phish — and his ability to construct complex musical arrangements, possibly the factor that finally pulled the Phish behemoth apart. From the chorus of soulful voices on “Cayman Review” to the complicated rhythms on “Last Tube,” Trey Anastasio is clearly the album Anastasio has wanted all along. For this album, Anastasio has assembled an eight-piece band to back him, highlighting a variety of horns and percussion over the drums, bass, keys and guitar mold that he made the most of for years with his previous band. Anastasio has displayed his affection for all things brass during his past solo tours, but it is in this studio setting that the man’s vision plays out completely. More than 20 guest musicians make appearances on the album, assuring that there is rarely a dull moment across the disc’s 12 tracks. Besides completely original compositions like “Push on ‘til the Day,” “Drifting” and “Mr. Completely” are two tracks culled from Anastasio’s time with other musical projects. “Ray Dawn Balloon” is a nod to a track Anastasio released with Stewart Copeland and Les Claypool under the moniker Oysterhead, while “Last Tube,” is a fitting companion to Phish’s “First Tube,” off the Anastasio-produced Farmhouse CD. Although there’s plenty of merit and interesting trivia to discuss regarding this disc, the true question is whether the music is any good. Luckily, Anastasio has created a disc of exciting, energetic music that will fit as well in a Phish-fan’s CD player as in anybody’s. The bubbly compositions therein are a testament to Anastasio’s energy, with each song packing more punch than the one before it. Even at its most calm and contemplative, this is a disc that doesn’t fail to entertain. There’s a lot of pressure on Phish. Some fans hope they’ll come back to the stage soon, while plenty of others are happy to see them finally let other, possibly more worthy bands take the jam-band spotlight. Whatever the future of that musical project, it’s good to see a true talent working, and Trey Anastasio is just that. With this self-titled solo effort, Anastasio has stepped up as a creative force. Whether his other bands will come around again is unimportant, as the man himself is a figure to be watched.