Rift - Phish
Track List:
Rift
Fast Enough for You
Lengthwise
Maze
Sparkle
Horn
The Wedge
My Friend, My Friend
Weigh
All Things Reconsidered
Mound
It’s Ice
Lengthwise (Encore)
The Horse
Silent in the Morning
A preface to make sure nothing is Phisy
Honestly, I just wanted to make a Phishy pun. I don’t have too much of a Phish history. I have listened to some of their live stuff and a few songs off of Farmhouse and Billy Breathes. Probably, my most recent listen was a few weeks ago. I played their new years eve set while I was working. I probably couldn’t name any of their songs off the top of my head, but I like jam bands in general and I’ve heard Trey Anastasio in other settings, either with Oysterhead or playing as a guest with bands like Umphrey’s Mcgee or The String Cheese Incident. So I have no reason to believe I wouldn’t like the style. I am aware that this is a concept album about a rift in a romantic relationship, I think it is somewhat autobiographical but I don’t know for certain and I don’t want to look up anything to risk spoiling my experience.
Rift
A song that drives forward. I am enjoying this so far, a lot. Wow what a song. The rushing feeling that is driven the whole way and the instrumental section and solos! The lyrics tell about a man who is going to sleep, in the half awake space between wake and sleep and he contemplates his relationship. Overall there isn’t anything really wrong with it but he does notice something to be concerned about, a rift. Upon noticing this rift he is unable to stop thinking about it and ends up focusing on the rift. Here we are.
Fast Enough for You
Love the use of the pedal steel here. So we are getting a glimpse of the rift. The narrator would be happy just to exist happily together, it would appear the partner wants to move faster in the relationship.
Lengthwise
Foley of sleeping? A brief poem talking about how the narrator sleeps differently with his partner than when she isn’t around.
Maze
Time. The tick tock of the clock sets a fast tempo that the rest of the band fills in. A dream of being lost in a maze and being viewed for entertainment. Trying to navigate around and then crushing self defeat. The song wraps up like an old television show.
Sparkle
This song does seem to rush. It seems to try to mimic anxiety. The narrator is trying to keep themself calm.
Horn
A notable change in the music. The narrator feels betrayed by his partner but is also compelled to be there for her. I like the framing of this song. The repetition of “Rhine win car horn” to start and end, familiar words that are out of context to frame the song. Each song seems to be representative of a dream.
The Wedge
The narrator is now trying to direct the relationship. Try to come to some compromise. I liked hearing the organ at the start of that one.
My Friend, My Friend
Parts of this first section almost have a medieval feel. Then an aggressive beat that morphs into a jazzy style with lyrics. The narrator feels like he is a ticking time bomb. He feels more and more pressure building up inside of him. The lyrics are concerned with perhaps threatening violence or self harm. I interpret this as self reflection by the narrator.
Weigh
The bass and guitar in the intro is fun. With the lyrics we have some anger. Anger towards the other person. Attacking their insecurities. Disliking their friends. Then it asks why the narrator would bring this up when it appears the relationship is going well. I enjoy the homage to Lou Reed with an altered version of Perfect Day as the chorus.
All Things Reconsidered
An instrumental piece. The guitar is playful while the keys and other instruments create a backdrop of things being rearranged, taken apart, and put back together in various ways.
Mound
An interesting intro. It sounds like the keys and the drums are playing different time signatures. The lyrics have the rift symbolized as an old man. This rift is not something that is new to the relationship but something that both partners are aware of and have actively ignored.
It’s Ice
The narrator feels trying to exist in the relationship is akin to being on ice and trying to get off it. He mentions getting injured and leaving behind parts of himself that he no longer identifies with. The song drifts into an eerie dark area towards the end.
Lengthwise (Encore)
One more song! One more song! I think it’s a bit cheesy when a band goes and hides in the back for a few moments to come back out and everything but I get it’s a way to tell the audience the show is coming to an end and all. You could just play ABBA… What are we doing? Listening to Phish… I’ve heard this one before, I guess we are waking up, the band is letting us know the album is almost over.
The Horse
An awakening so to speak. The night of dreams is over and we are confronted with reality.
Silent in the Morning
I think this is the narrator describing their relationship that’s ending.
Rifting on Rift
I really enjoyed that. I suspect if I were to further explore Phish’s catalog I would find many other songs I enjoy. The story is about growth and I could see being a reflection upon a former relationship and framing it in the story of a nightmare filled night. I like the concept and I think it’s really well done. I also think that many of these songs can be listened to and enjoyed out of context however a few may need a radio edit for intros and outros.
