Anyone who follows Phish with any regularity knows that they tour year-round and make studio albums sporadically. With concert commitments and a smattering of side projects, writing new songs and getting together in the studio to record them isn’t a top priority for Phish. Even so, Evolve — their 16th offering and first studio effort since 2000’s Sigma Oasis — showcases the band’s gift for songwriting and arrangements — all without the unpredictability of extended jams and makeshift nuance.
It should be noted that half the songs on Evolve have appeared on two of guitarist Trey Anastasio’s solo albums, as well as a collaborative album he did with keyboardist Page McConnell. That hardly minimizes their effectiveness — good songs are good songs no matter how many different ways they are interpreted. And Phish should know because at their concerts, their songs are revamped during each performance.
The album’s title track, “A Wave of Hope,” and “Lonely Trip” appear on Anastasio’s Lonely Trip release from 2020. That album was recorded with Phish drummer Jon Fishman during the COVID-19 pandemic when concerts weren’t happening due to lockdown restrictions, so they hold a therapeutic trance. However, on Evolve, they receive a new lease as fully formed Phishorized songs. That’s especially the case with “Evolve,” which, with McConnell’s piano and backing vocals, seems to slip on more comfortably. And while the version of “Life Saving Gun” on Anastasio and McConnell’s January album from 2023 is pulsating wonderment, the Phish version bears far more spring in its step, with a ready-set platform plumb full of improvisational possibilities.
“Hey Stranger,” which appears on Anastasio’s 2022 album Mercy, and “Oblivion” open Evolve on a snappy note. Cast in an ocean of harmony and lusciousness, “Pillow Jets” winds down with a long guitar solo, while both “Monsters” and “Ether Edge” ease out of the gate with calculated thought and precision. Phish is certainly more steadfast in the studio than on the concert stage — similar to the way the Grateful Dead balanced their album output with their concerts in the 70s.
Bassist Mike Gordon’s “Human Nature,” the twangy “Valdese,” and the bountiful “Mercy” sidle softly and swiftly through the ear canal to conclude Evolve. At this stage in their career, Phish can dictate the terms of their music, and that’s how this record plays out. Evolve probably won’t drive you to commit obscene acts with a blender, but it delivers on the promise of progress for a band that’s continually pushing forward and keeping everyone guessing for the foreseeable future.
~ Shawn Perry
