The only ones more ardent and fanatical than Phish lovers are Phish haters, and of course, both parties support their opinions based on the exact same criteria. However, as the band matures and their sound ripens, the naysayers' stance becomes increasingly difficult to defend. Ghost, their seventh studio effort, is the quartet's most balanced and well-rounded studio collection, one that finds the middle ground between their wild stage forays and their more recent toned-down records while intensifying their ever-growing "cow funk" elements. Along the way there is room for concise song craft and angular complex journeys; thick funk, high-tempo romps, and quiet reflective passages; nuggets of lyrical wisdom floating in the usual sea of nonsense; cerebral prog-rock majesty tempered by visceral one- chord grooves; simplicity and psychedelia; instrumental precision and loose rambling. The twists and turns of "Guyute" will be familiar to the congregation as will the deep funk of "Meat" and bookends "Ghost" and "The Moma Dance." "Water in the Sky" takes a classic country progression and infuses it with a propulsive, almost Latin rhythm. Early-period albums may have better (and lengthier) jams, later albums may have better songs, but no other Phish album blends both aesthetics as well. --Marc Greilsamer
Rolling Stone
Phish exploit their subtlety like never before, with airy, uncluttered grooves and relaxed vocals that sound as if they were delivered between catnaps.
Editorial Reviews
If you regard Junta as the pinnacle of all things Phish, save your money and don't buy this album. If you liked Billy Breathes, give it a listen. The same Phish sound is still here: the melodies that glide along in a groove, the lyrics that range between listenable and inane, the upbeat hummable tunes, the mix of styles and influences from rock to funk ("Moma Dance," "Ghost") to reggae ("Limb By Limb") to bluegrass ("Water in the Sky") to soft rock bordering on ambient ("Brian & Robert," "Velvet Sea"). The songs are simpler than we're used to from Phish; I think this is the main problem most people have. "Guyute" aside, each song uses a straight-ahead verse/chorus tune instead of twisting and turning all over the place a la "You Enjoy Myself." The tone is more relaxed than usual, more suited to late night listening than a sunny afternoon outdoors. Phish albums usually seem to have a couple weak tracks, and this is no exception - check "Shafty," "Meat" and "Fikus" - but the rest is definitely worth a listen. Comment | Permalink | (Report this)
