Phish “Round Room” Elektra
Records
Phish is one of the most confounding music groups of the last 20
years, if not for its astonishingly bad lyrics then because of its
seemingly willful inconsistency. In spite of previous glimmers of
hope that gave life to their studio discography, “Round
Room” follows in the group’s same nasty habit of
releasing albums of bloated, directionless tracks. It’s nice
to see the band back and touring, but this album is about 78
minutes too long. Reportedly recorded over four days in
singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio’s barn studio, “Round
Room” has a loose, ramshackle feel that sometimes evokes the
kind of sun-soaked intensity that made the four musicians
superstars. The 11-minute yawner “Pebbles and Marbles”
kicks things off, establishing a laid back tone and then evolving
into a Phish-by-numbers jam. The album reflects the seemingly
perfect approach with which to make a comeback ““ play to your
strengths. But for Phish in the studio, the strength is the
technical virtuosity, and the weakness is the actual songwriting,
as well as the ability to evoke any sort of musical intensity.
Instead of focusing on the weaker aspects, (which, as evidenced by
“Billy Breathes” and “Farmhouse,” can
result in stellar Phish albums) the group has given fans what
they’d expect from it, but without the weed and the hippies,
it really isn’t much at all. -Andrew Lee
The Realistics “Go Ahead”
EP
Another retro outfit from NYC, The Realistics should by every
indication be a disposable act ““ what could be worse for your
credibility than opening for a group as gimmicky as the Strokes?
But there’s something to the group’s charming
performances that begs for more than a passing listen. With
charisma and a couple of finely written songs to back it up, this
is the band Phantom Planet wishes it was. While it’s in line
with the recent rock movement, “Go Ahead” isn’t a
part of your typical garage rock revival; the bouncy rhythms and
sugar-sweet New Wave melodicism recalls a less cynical but
similarly passionate Elvis Costello and the Attractions, and
that’s not easy to pull off. The tone isn’t resigned at
all ““ the high-strung energy carries these songs and keeps
the heads bouncing. Factor in a few soaring vocal falsettos and the
result is a gloriously pretty trip through the juvenile minds of a
few pop-punk lovers. It’s not the most original music being
made, but hey, as long as retro is in, you might as well settle for
something that’s reverent, not derivative. And now for a
haiku, which says more about The Realistics than can be said in
prose: Leather and an ax With hip threads and sunglasses Yes, their
aim is true. -Andrew Lee