LAWN BOY

This one fits the "good, but non-essential" label to a T. It's so goofy in places that I have to remind myself that silliness is just part of the Phish experience, and it's worth tuning out if the music is good. And it has taken me a while to feel this way, but I do think most of this stuff is actually pretty good. Just don't always listen too close to your first impression.

They really pick up where they left off on their previous album. On Reba and Run Like an Antelope, we get plenty of good instrumental workouts--even with completely asinine lyrics on Reba--characterized by Phish's pseudo-jazzy, lighthearted style. Although there are many characteristics of the band I don't care for, this is one side of them that I enjoy every time. Very tight playing.

Squirming Coil is also very nice, with some impressive--at least for this band--vocal harmonies, a good instrumental break, and even some fun additions, such as the Queen-style falsetto toward the end. Even some of the throwaways, such as The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony don't feel completely like throwaways.

I'm not a Phish-head, and some people are shocked to hear that I like some of their stuff. I can't help it--give me decent prog and I'll probably enjoy it! That being said, even by this early point, some of their music is starting to sound a bit too familiar, so I'm probably going to have to limit my Phish exposure from this point forward.