For those who’ve ever wondered what Phish would sound like decked
out in symphony drag and performing a score that runs the gamut from
Fantasia wonder to Indiana Jones joy-riding, Trey
Anastasio has provided at least a partial answer with Time Turns
Elastic. Collaborating with arranger Don Hart, Anastasio has
crafted a soundtrack without filmic imagery, a trilogy of movements
that ebb and flow with cinematic tension between Hart’s swelling
orchestrations and Anastasio’s delicate guitar phrasings.
Album opener “Movement 1” establishes the instrumental atmosphere,
leading into Anastasio’s vocal turns on “Movement 2.” “Submarine” comes
off like a Rufus Wainwright-conducts-Phish prism of cryptic
theatricality, while “Landslide” dances and lilts with Mark
Knopfler-esque fluidity, as Hart surrounds Anastasio with a score that
suggests Randy Newman’s wry humor, Raymond Scott’s serious whimsy and
John Barry’s sophisticated cool. With “Movement 3,” Anastasio channels
his jazz chops which Hart underpins with more traditional classicism
before ultimately returning to the album’s main themes. As an added
bonus, Anastasio closes with the acoustic demo that launched the
concept, a sonic sketchpad that hints at the majesty that Hart
ultimately invests in the work.
— Brian Baker
This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2009.
