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A Picture of Nectar (Elektra) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
With a versatile instrumental bent, it may be easier to define the band Phish by what it is not. Eclectic is an understatement, as the group deftly tackles rhythm and blues-rock (”Chalk Dust Torture”), reggae (”Mango”), hillbilly country (”Poor Heart”) and schmaltzy guitar pop a la Earl Klugh
(”Eliza”). New-age sappiness even gets zapped in the tongue-in-cheek instrumental ”Faht,” in which atmospheric wilderness drivel (chirping birds and all) erupts into a honking interstate. Vocals aren`t a selling point of the Burlington, Vt., quartet, with whiny ensemble efforts and nonsensical lyrics duplicating the quirkiness of They Might Be Giants. The goofy track
”Tweezer” even culls the funky rock of Little Feat. Expert musicianship and sheer verve have made Phish a mainstay on the Northeast club circuit (the LP title honors a hometown venue). Phish may herald the return of musical variety, but it`s more than a five-and-dime effort.
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