Page McConnell
Legacy

Without the other three former members of Phish only Mike Gordon has made multiple projects of viable artistic intrigue on his own (see Inside In, Clone, and Joey Arkenstat’s Bane). This time out Page McConnell offers up a food pellet for the Phish phaithful from the wreckage of what was with his first true solo record. His self-titled album is a sincere effort peppered with splinters of Phish musical notions past (as well as tracking additions from all three former bandmates). While the wordcraft here far surpasses trivial place-holder lyrics about boots and dragonflies, some of what McConnell writes is cliché, albeit seemingly sincere notions of love and loss like those in “Maid Marian.” The odd electro-beat is one component of what feels like an ADD smattering of otherwise unconnected musical influences. “Heavy Rotation,” the most interesting, longest and weightiest track of the bunch, is an honest snapshot of where McConnell seems to be as a songwriter. The first of its lengthy jam interludes briefly harkens back to McConnell’s previous jam quartet’s impressive proclivity for the sustained crescendo, of which they were once collectively heavyweight champs. While some of Page McConnell comes off as random coloration over piano blues/folk tunes, it’s honest and revealing of the man as a second-life songwriter. Jack Chester

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