The Vermont jam band’s latest release offers a glimpse of what is to come on their upcoming tour
The release of a studio album is generally heralded as a major accomplishment by any band, often additionally met with long held anticipation from its fanbase. For a band such as Phish, a studio release can be argued as merely serving the same function of a movie trailer— both Phish and their audience understand the peak of their work lies in their live performances.
On Phish’s 16th studio album and first record in four years, Evolve — the Burlington, VT jam band composed of Trey Anastasio on guitar and lead vocals, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer John Fishman and Page McConnell on keys, has continued its signature fusion of Americana, funk, folk and classic rock. This fusion led to an album that will indefinitely function as a strong blueprint for its upcoming summer tour where the mind bending composition, rhythms and solos can only be enhanced under the band’s miraculous unpredictable jams.
At 12 tracks and a run time of just under an hour, Evolve is able to move in a variety of sonic directions — a crucial factor when creating nuance within an album. While unsurprising given the group’s 41 years in the business, it is still widely present across modern music, pointing to Phish’s artistic talent that has allowed the group to thrive for decades.
Beginning on “Hey Stranger,” featuring a snappy, descending groove. Anastasio’s conversational vocals give way to a guitar solo ready to be rebuilt nightly in live performances. “Oblivion” opens with a quick bluesy hook before being interwoven into a funk riff that effortlessly sits next to McConnell’s backing synths. These shifts not only occur across the LP, but within tracks themselves. “Monsters” starts with a mellow guitar melody, while a backing string section adds depth and a dramatic essence, until Anastasio’s guitar solo redirects the track to a place of triumph. “Ether Edge” offers continuous changes in tempo and dynamics as the band veers between major and minor chord progressions under the guiding rhythm of Gordon and Fishman.
After 41 years and 16 albums to their name, Phish continues to maintain their crown on the American jam band scene with Evolve. Through a demonstration of their elevated songwriting prowess in a studio setting, their latest offering can only expand when the Vermont quartet’s reigns are cut loose on stage.
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