Round Room

Reviewed by:
David Peisner

When Phish announced that they were going on “extended hiatus” in 2000, it looked like their devotees might have to drown their sorrows in chai tea and bear it. Not to fear, though—Phish’s idea of an “extended hiatus” ain’t that extended after all. Their latest plays like a gift to die-hard Phishheads who’ve nonetheless been anxiously awaiting their return. While 2000’s Farmhouse tightened the band’s meandering, eclectic folk-rock, Round Room finds head-bobbing, freewheeling jams getting free rein, which should thrill fans and soft-drug aficionados alike. Muscular, bluesy guitar licks and a roadhouse piano give “46 Days” a rough-and-tumble Allmans-like spirit, and the loose-limbed “Pebbles and Marbles” chugs along for nearly 12 minutes without losing the plot. Inevitably, the noodling does go overboard: “Waves” sounds like the Peanuts theme after too many bong hits. Overall, it seems Phish weren’t struggling to reinvent themselves during their vacation; they were merely refueling for their own long, strange trip.