Search - Trey Anastasio :: Shine

For the most part, a killer effort from Trey.

CJD | California | 06/01/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I thought Trey's self-titled first solo album was really good, definitely at least a three and a half star effort. This one is not as even as his first solo effort, but only because each of the first seven tracks of this album are dynamite stand outs. After lackluster Phish efforts such as Undermind, I thought Trey might be musically bankrupt. As it turns out, it was only Phish as a unit that was out of good ideas. The first seven songs on this album exhibit everything that is great about Trey's music, and manage to do so in a mature, tightly-constructed and concise fashion. There are no long jams on this CD, but that is one of its strengths--the melodies and hooks are so strong, so good in their own right, that the songs need not serve as vehicles or launch points for extended jams or the "orchestrated improvisation" of the early Phish albums.



That said, the CD runs out of steam after track seven, as the music becomes slower, contemplative and, unfortuanately, not real memorable. Still, if you are a fan of Phish or Trey, you really should give this a listen. It is likely to make you a big fan of this guy's music all over again."