Phish is fresh on final CD June 13, 2004 - Star-Ledger (NJ) By Jay Lustig Album Review - Undermind If you're confused about the upcoming dissolution of the band Phish, this album won't clear up anything. These 14 tracks create the impression that the Vermont-based jam band still has a lot of life left. If the album were studded with duds, it would make the band's surprise move more understandable. As it is, it only adds to the mystery. "Undermind" is adventurous and stylistically eclectic but only rarely self-indulgent. Lyrics are casually philosophical and will be interpreted as comments on the split, whether or not this was the band's intent. "Nothing's ensconced, nothing's entrenched ... What I had hoped might linger is swept off instead," sings frontman Trey Anastasio in "Nothing." "Now waters run free, no more fish in the sea," he sings in "Two Versions of Me." Then there's this warning from "Crowd Control": "Time has come for changes, do something or I will." The most striking thing about the album, though, is the band members' inspired playing in virtually every style they attempt. "The Connection" is a catchy, breezy pop song, while "A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing" is a awe-inspiring space jam. "Scents and Subtle Sounds" conjures the grandiosity of "Quadrophenia"-era Who, while "Maggie's Revenge" has a menacing, heavy-metal edge. "Grind" is a cappella doo-wop, and "Access Me" is a goofy novelty song. "Secret Smile" is a gentle ballad, dominated by piano and strings. It's hard to imagine anyone feeling artistically stifled by being in such an eclectic band. The title track has a lazy funk-rock beat, as well as the album's worst lyrics: a series of adjectives, strung together for no apparent reason. "Undecided, undefined, undisturbed yet undermined/Relocated not retired, reprimanded and rewired," Anastasio sings. The tune is also extended a couple of minutes more than necessary, but song length is generally not a problem here. "Nothing" even seems to end prematurely, fading out just as the band starts to build momentum. Despite such minor flaws, this is as strong a final statement as Phish fans could have wanted. Announcing the quartet's split on May 25, Anastasio wrote on the band's Web site that he felt they "should end it now while it's still on a high note." Many musicians say this kind of thing, especially if they have a new album coming out and a farewell tour booked. The tour, scheduled to run from June 17 to Aug. 15, will be the real test, but judging by this album, Anastasio was right about that "high note." Review © 2004 Star-Ledger