The Green Sparrow : Mike Gordon : Review : Rolling Stone

Mike Gordon has always been the quirkiest member of Phish, whether he’s writing jazzy rock songs that defy conventional meter (“Round Room”) or singing about cutting off his girlfriend’s head (“Weigh”). On his 2003 solo debut, he sometimes let his freak flag fly too high: the album’s electro kraut-rock exercises didn’t quite hold together. But on The Green Sparrow, Gordon strikes a SOLID balance between his jones for experimentation and the type of straightforward jam-band anthems that have always appealed to Phish heads. “Andelman’s Yard” is a lovely and imaginative bluegrass romp: Gordon plays all the instruments himself while singing about digging tunnels underneath his neighbors’ property. And another album highlight, “Another Door,” morphs from knots of funk into a soaring guitar solo. The album’s blandest moments are the ones that feature his Phish bandmates: guitarist Trey Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell bring little innovation to the straight-down-the-plate rockers “Dig Further Down” and “Traveled Too Far.” By teaming up with his old bandmates, Gordon’s tunes sound just like any other Phish song – and turning out studio records was never the band’s strength.