Fuego (Phish) | 4/5

SINGAPORE - Any casual online research on Phish will reveal the following key words: “Musical improvisation”, “extended jams” and “blending of musical genres”. Like The Grateful Dead before them, Phish’s reputation is largely derived from being a live outfit - where each concert is unique in itself and where often the band will cover entire “classic” albums. And whilst their recorded output has never been received with quite the same fervor, the general consensus has been that the closer that a Phish record could evoke the live experience, the greater were its chances for commercial and critical success. Case in point - Fuego - the band’s second album since its comeback in 2009 where ace producer Bob Ezrin keeps the process as organic as possible and the result is definitely one of Phish’s finer records. With robust songwriting and dynamic performances, classic rock fans will be mesmerised by tracks like The Line, Halfway To The Moon and the epic title track.