Trey Anastasio, Trey Anastasio
April, 2002 - Rolling Stone
by Arion Berger
Album Review - Trey Anastasio
After seventeen years of heading up Phish, Trey Anastasio takes his Type A
trance rock solo. For this outing, he has recruited a supertight eight-piece
band -- half of it horns -- to back him on a dozen tunes that will not
alienate his longtime neohippie fans. But Trey Anastasio may also entrance
dabblers whose only contact with Phish is their incarnation as a Ben and
Jerry's ice-cream flavor. Closely packed with urgent horn breaks and friendly
guitar solos, Anastasio's new songs are less diffuse than his old roomy
improv workouts. The players have the subdued joy of a Latin dance band on
fire, especially on the opener, "Alive Again," the busy "Push On Til the Day"
and the soul rave-up of "Money, Love and Change." Anastasio is an affable,
uncomplicated singer; his intimate voice brings moody, autobiographical
numbers such as "Flock of Words" and "Drifting" right up to the listener's
ear. It's like hearing an old friend's secrets.
3.5 stars
This review appears in RS 895 - May 9, 2002
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