In 1983, four shaggy dudes from Vermont decided to form a jamband based around a series of characters from the head of their lead singer. Since then, Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Page McConnell, and Jon Fishman, collectively known as Phish have been the root of worship for a mass of followers. Today, Joy, Phish's eleventh studio album and their first in five years was released. While Phish has been criticized by many longtime "Phans" for becoming too poppy on their previous few albums, most rely on their marathon-like live shows to fill their Phish appetites. While many will probably claim that Joy is no different and that it is too overproduced to rank up with classics such as Junta and Rift, the fact of the matter is, in many ways, this album is extremely experimental.
Reuniting with Billy Breathes producer Steve Lillywhite, Phish's grand return to the studio has shown a tremendous maturation in their songwriting as well as a great care to detail in the instrumentation and overall sound of the record. The album starts of with Anastasio belting, "Happy, happy, oh my friend," in the single "Backwards Down the Number Line." Serving as a true declaration that they are back, this tune matches the pop appeal of the Farmhouse classic "Heavy Things," but clocks in at over five and a half minutes to provide ample space for Anastasio to give a classic "Trey" solo. It is clear that Joy spits up many of the feelings, experiences, and events that occurred in the five years the band took off. "Kill Devil Falls" shows Trey's commitment to both sobriety and his bandmates, singing "I've learned my lesson" and "This time will be different,"while the title track , "Joy" is passionately written for Anastsio's sister, who unfortunately passed away from cancer this past year. While "Joy" lacks the punch and solo-space of other tracks, its chord structure and beautiful lyrics create a bittersweet and emotional listening experience that adds a whole different angle to the album as a whole. "Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan" has a "Character Zero"-esque spark and a chorus exclaiming "Got a blank space where my mind should be," that is sure to calculate very well live while "Ocelot" has a hook that will definitely rattle around in your head until you're sick of it. Mike Gordon's songwriting contribution, "Sugar Shack" is a nice attempt, but lacks the goopy bass and zany lyrics that are expected of Gordo, sounding more like a track off of his latest solo album, The Green Sparrow. Another track that doesn't quite match the energy of the rest of the album is the final track, "Twenty Years Later." Page McConnell provides a playful interlude with "I Been Around," which takes phans back to the days of "Lawn Boy." Then there's Trey's grand composition, "Time Turns Elastic." This song lacks the immediate draw of some of the the album's earlier tracks, but ranks towards the top when given multiple listens. Lasting over 13 minutes, Trey composed this song to be performed for the first time by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. "The Divided Sky" and "You Enjoy Myself" are two other Phish songs that are often recognized as compositions, but what separates "Time Turns Elastic" from the other two is that the lyrics extend throughout the whole song. The various instrumental sections of the song are matched beautifully by their vocal counterparts, equating to thirteen minutes and thirty seconds of musical bliss.
Joy will get a mixed reception to begin with, but the album as a whole ranks up there with many of their other studio albums and is a perfect representation of where Phish is in their musical journey. The album is extremely lyrically sophisticated and shines a spotlight on Trey Anastasio, whose personal struggles can finally be laid to rest with the album's release. Trey can wear this album like a badge of honor as he and his bandmates continue in their musical travels and their reconnected friendships. As for us listeners, it is clear that Phish is back and with a new collection of tunes and experiences to share with us all.
