First Came The Light

Phish “Evolve”

Last summer I went to see Phish and they played this song. The show was part of a week of Phish gigs at Madison Square Garden, and it was pretty easy to get an inexpensive ticket on a whim on the day of the gig. Phish is known for having very intense and obsessive fans, but Phish shows – and “jam band” shows more generally – are perfect for casual listeners. It’s a situation where knowing a lot of songs going in helpful, but also sets you up for disappointment since there’s no telling what the band might play beyond ruling out whatever they played at the few shows. You’re meant to show up and just go along for the ride. It’s like a musical rollercoaster that they make just for you and the people in the room on that night, and then never again. I haven’t seen a lot of Phish shows, but I think that night was a particularly fun musical rollercoaster.

I know enough Phish songs to recognize some of the big classics in their repertoire, but not enough to know what they’re playing through most of a set. “Evolve” was one of the songs that really grabbed me in the show, especially when the chorus hook kicks in about halfway through. It’s a warm and generous song, relaxed and easygoing and optimistic to its core. It sounds more like Belle & Sebastian than you’d expect from them. I’d assumed it was an oldie, but it’s actually from a somewhat recent Trey Anastasio solo record, and it’s been rerecorded as the title track of the band’s next album.

Phish studio recordings tend to be pretty dry and matter of fact, like their goal is strictly getting a clean document of the basic structure of a song. That’s basically what you’re getting on this recording. It’s the song, and the song is good, but you don’t get much in the way of improvisational quirks or interesting audio texture. I think this is like how Fugazi would say their albums are the menu and their shows were the meal, but those guys put a lot more into giving their studio output a specific feel. I’m happy to have a nice clean and concise version of “Evolve” that I can post here and include on playlists, but I can’t help but feel the song might be better suited with a more ambitious studio approach. More overtly psychedelic, in one way or another? More room sound, to give a sense of space? Something like that.

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