PHISH
Joy

Phish’s first studio album since its 2004 breakup suggests that what reunited the jam-band maestros after a five-year hiatus wasn’t just unbridled passion, but a renewed sense of purpose in both their music and their personal lives.

When the band called it quits, it was dealing with much internal strife stemming from guitarist Trey Anastasio’s addiction to heroin and prescription medications. Following a 2006 arrest for an infamous incident in Whitehall, N.Y., and a long struggle with sobriety, Anastasio reached out to his former bandmates in an effort to reunite Phish.

Recorded at the legendary Chung Kung Studios by Steve Lillywhite (producer of their 1996 masterpiece “Billy Breathes” and of U2 fame), “Joy” is filled with allusions to Anastasio’s long road back to his band and his health as well as his effort to regain mental equilibrium. Longtime fans, however, may not like what they hear.

Gone are the silly fusions of bluegrass-boogie rhythms and neo-prog guitar virtuosity, goofy lyrics, and laid-back funk. Instead, we find a more mature-sounding, self-assured, ponderous band writing songs with more purpose than ever before.

However, not all of it works. Since “Joy” was recorded as a live studio album (with all tracks recorded in one take, as opposed to a typical studio album), the songs are arranged and sound just like the live versions. In fact, some might be a little underwhelmed at how little studio trickery takes place on the album.

The timbres of the instruments often seem identical from song to song. Often, it sounds like the band is trying too hard to evoke emotion, resulting in sappy, derivative lyrics that can only be described as cheesy.

“Joy” suffers from a strange dichotomy, at times sounding disconnected and lacking any sort of flow. Following the evocative title track, a ballad which was written about the death of Anastasio’s sister from cancer, the album segues into the slinky Grateful Dead-esque bumble-groove “Ocelot,” a song about the feeding habits of the jungle animal, featuring forced lyrics like “Ocelot, ocelot, where are you now? / You prance with the beasts that parade every night / And silently slouch through the forest by light.”

Even though the album thematically grapples with several serious motifs, such as struggles with substance abuse, the nature of friendships and dealing with death, the insights contained within the lyrics can only be described as mediocre at best.

Not all of “Joy” is bad, however. Standouts on the album include the gritty, hard-rock infused “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan;” the propulsive, high-speed “Light,” with bassist Mike Gordon playing pounding bass runs reminiscent of The Who’s John Entwistle; “Sugar Shack,” a classic Phish-sounding reggae-esque funk ditty; and the epic, 13-minute, progressive rock-flavored charge “Time Turns Elastic.”

When all is said and done, there is certainly something admirable and noble in a band that really has nothing left to prove yet is still putting a concerted effort into its music. While the album fails to deliver in many ways, those who love the band will appreciate its positive message.

“I saw it as something we all go through, living in darkness,” said Anastasio in an interview with Rolling Stone. But the message, he insists, “is affirming with a dose of reality.”

VERDICT: After 25 years, more than 1,000 live performances and 11 albums, “Joy” is a culmination of the band’s storied career. And although I feel immense joy that Phish is back, healthy and as good as ever, one can hardly say that listening to the album evokes the same emotion.

- Zee Premjee

NEEDTOBREATHE
The Outsiders

NeedtoBreathe describes itself as a southern arena rock/ambient/rock ‘n’ dance-a-billy band, and newest album “The Outsiders” aims for that kind of sundry feel.

There’s an assortment of rock, pop, slow songs and love songs, but coupled with singer Bear Bryant’s distinctive voice, it’s hard for every song not to end up sounding alike.

The theme of the album is the messed up world we live in and the band’s search to find the answer why. To listeners’ dismay, they never resolve it. The theme runs through every song, making it repetitive.

A few singles do stand out. The song “Lay ‘Em Down” is a bluesy, folky remake of an old hymn. The melodic “Something Beautiful” is described perfectly by its title. “Prisoner’s” boy-loves-girl theme is cliché, but it’s the catchiest single here.

Except for “These Hard Times,” which becomes sing-songlike, the chord structures and guitar/bass solos are impressive.

Many songs boast three- or four-part vocal harmonies, although the a capella vocal breaks in each song are overused.

Bryant describes this album as “ambitious,” but I don’t see where, save the lyrical meaning. NeedtoBreathe’s message is its biggest strength. It is brutally honest in its material; its faith is interwoven in every song.

VERDICT: NeedtoBreathe is talented, the melodies are catchy, and, though the lyrics are repetitive, the band runs deep where it matters.

- Rachael Mirabella