Evolve by Phish–Album Review
Evolve by Phish–Album Review
Evolve is the newly-released sixteenth album by Vermont-based neo-psych group Phish. The jam-band’s first official release since the pandemic, it features well-produced studio renditions of the newest songs from their live repertoire, several of which appeared in different form on guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio’s most recent solo efforts.
The album begins auspiciously with the greeting “Hey Stranger,” led by Anastasio. With a funky mid-tempo feel accentuated by “Chairman of the Boards” Page McConnell’s staccato clavinet, the song evokes the late 1990s, the later years of the band’s 1.0 era. Bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman hold down a patient groove, while Trey trades leads with Page’s Moog synthesizer.
“Oblivion” awaits the listener on the release’s ominous second track. Sung by Anastasio with backup vocals all around by McConnell, Gordon and Fishman as is customary on this album, “Oblivion” is highlighted by a catchy chorus and an all-too-short bridge with dissonant psychedelia including reverse-tape playback. Page’s keyboard lead is enhanced by wah-wah pedal, while Trey’s splashy Languedoc lead teases the radiance of their live concerts. The result of this classic Phish combination yields one of the band’s best studio tracks in the past decade.
Phish promotional photo by Danny Clinch
The album’s title track and first single, “Evolve” is an AOR radio-friendly song which the group performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon earlier this month. Penned by Anastasio, long-time songwriting partner Tom Marshall, and Scott Herman, the tune is cheerful and carefree, an appropriate entry point for curious new listeners.
“Wave of Hope” gravitates between energetic themes. as its taut minor-driven hook and verses give way to an exuberant chorus. “This too shall pass,” the band chants while describing a seabird soaring over and into the ocean, while Trey’s guitar takes flight as well. To date this reviewer has attended both the debut (8/7/2021 Deer Creek) and most recent live performances of this song, as it opened the second set of Phish’s 4/19/2024 Sphere concert during their consequential four-night run in Las Vegas. It’s likely that several songs from this album including “Wave of Hope” will be in the setlist rotation during the band’s summer tour which commences this weekend.
Far removed from Phish’s early years predominated by jazzy, algebraic compositions often hampered by nonsensical phrases, Evolve presents a focused and genteel ensemble guided by deliberate purpose.
The bouncy number “Pillow Jets” features Jon Fishman’s deliberate drumming more prominently, as he adapts the time signature for the song’s chorus and its extended instrumental foray which ascends skyward. Another tune they recently performed live at the Sphere, “Lonely Trip” has an arrangement similar to the Temptations’ “My Girl” complete with subtle strings, as Trey and Page long for a fleeting character in hopes that they’ll “finally meet at last.”
“Life Saving Gun” comes crashing in with an edgy rhythm driven by Gordon and Fishman. The foursome lyrically invokes their Sci-Fi Soldier alter-ego as an offbeat inside joke, while they musically deconstruct the song before rebuilding the theme to its finale. “Monsters” is uncharacteristically bleak, as the beleaguered protagonist’s frayed state of mind is laid bare while dwelling on “the wreckage of the past and the fear of tomorrow.” The song notably concludes with Trey singing full-throated in the higher vocal registers, perhaps his best singing on record.
Anastasio’s acoustic guitar makes its first appearance alongside McConnell’s glimmering piano on “Ether Edge,” an innocent Beatlesque ditty complete with call-and-response vocals. “Human Nature” struts with an ambling pace that recalls “Wombat,” providing the angular Gordon with the scarce chance to showcase his lead vocals and musical composition. Co-written by Gordon and Scott Murawski, “Human Nature” fits right in with the album’s musical motif, which is often not the case with the bassist’s oddball songwriting contributions.
“Valdese” flirts with country bluegrass and newgrass – which the band dabbled in under the tutelage of Rev. Jeff Mosier in 1994 – adding pedal steel for the occasion. When Fishman joins in, his drumbeat experiments with a unique shuffle, only momentarily propelling to a two-step beat as the moment calls for it. The string section returns more prominently to conclude the song in a manner reminiscent of late-era Fab Four recordings.
Phish promotional photo collage
Included as a bonus track exclusive to this release’s vinyl LP version is “The Well.” Instrumentally, the group borrows from their own song “Wolfman’s Brother” from decades past, with lyrical descriptions of sunlight hitting the trees and ocean as a joyful sound emanates from the bottom of the well. Suddenly they take a hard right turn to heavy metal, turning the song’s ending into a head-banging 1980s rock anthem. “The Well” is an unexpected outlier that along with the LP’s collectability justifies purchasing the vinyl record version.
“Mercy” concludes each version of Evolve (digital, CD and vinyl) on a sedated, introspective note, marked by the return of piano, acoustic guitar and strings. Anastasio showcases his tender, reflective side which he has increasingly cultivated over his seventeen years of sobriety, as he conceptualizes taking the form of “water dancing in the light, shimmering by the sleeping shore.” “Mercy” ends the album with a degree of serenity and hope for a brighter future.
Evolve is a pleasant and insightful addition to the band’s vast catalog. The lyrics are thoughtful and articulate, with well-varied exploratory arrangements that reach outside the box while maintaining a relatively cohesive framework. Thematically the album’s name underscores their growth and maturity both lyrically and musically in their 41st year as a group. Far removed from Phish’s early years predominated by jazzy, algebraic compositions often hampered by nonsensical phrases, Evolve presents a focused and genteel ensemble guided by deliberate purpose.
– Bill Kurzenberger
Evolve is available on CD, vinyl, and digital download on the band’s own label JEMP Records at https://drygoods.phish.com/dept/evolve with previews available at https://linktr.ee/phish.
Related links:
Phish at The Sphere in Las Vegas – Live Concert Review
Phish at Blossom Music Center – Live Concert Review
Junta by Phish – ‘The Psych Ward’ Retro Review
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