Phish's Round Room a square peg

Does anyone remember what it was like to eagerly anticipate that special Christmas gift, only to receive a cheap, dissatisfying imitation on Christmas morning? Fans of Phish may be reminded of that feeling with the release of Round Room, its first album after a hiatus of nearly three years. Recorded in four days, the band's aim was to capture the live energy that has been its forte for nearly 20 years. The result is a mere facade of what Phish is truly capable of, that being the ability to transcend the joy and energy of its music into something organic, almost tangible. The album's underachieving opening track, "Pebbles and Marbles" struggles despite its length of nearly eleven minutes. Sentimental ballads like "Anything But Me" seem to sap the energy Phish strives for and its silly ode to tequila, "Mexican Cousin," should have been reserved for sound checks. Round Room is not devoid of highlights. The title track is a playful and entertaining venture into Caribbean and Afro-Cuban sounds while "Seven Below" is reminiscent of the climatic Phish jams of old. Phish has made an album that falls short of its goal to recreate its concerts.