Jason Savio

Johnny Cash – Songwriter

Like a gift from the grave comes Songwriter, reworked Johnny Cash demos that the Man in Black recorded in 1993 but never released. His son, John Carter Cash, stripped these songs back to just Cash’s vocals and acoustic guitar, then invited musicians that played with Cash, including guitarist Marty Stuart, late bassist Dave Roe, and others, to fill them out. The result will leave you wondering what took so long for this to be released.

While a little overproduced at times, Songwriter rightly makes sure to keep Cash as the focal point of these songs (unlike some Elvis Presley tracks that were reworked and released after his death). Songwriter doesn’t have any of that awkwardness to it; instead, it feels like a Johnny Cash album that somehow just fell through the cracks. “Poor Valley Girl” and “Soldier Baby” both have that familiar Cash rockabilly feel and offer fun singalong moments. While the tongue-in-cheek of “Well Alright” is one of many unexpectedly lighthearted numbers on Songwriter, this is Johnny Cash we’re talking about, so there needs to be some more emotional depth. That comes in the form of “Like a Soldier” as Cash talks about regret, singing, “There are faces that come to me/In my darkest secret memories/Faces that I wish would never come back at all.” 

Perhaps the most emotional is “I Love You Tonite,” Cash’s love letter to his wife, June Carter Cash. In it he sings, “And when it’s all over/ I hope we will go together/I don’t want you to be alone, you know.” June died 10 years later in May of 2003, and Johnny followed in September of that same year. Hopefully she heard this song, too. 

For more, visit: www.johnnycash.com/

Phish – Evolve

It’s sweet 16 for Phish on their 16th studio album Evolve. The beloved jam kings have gathered up a collection of songs that has them showing a newly focused depth as they continue to push the boundaries of what they’ve done before while keeping their unique charm intact. Evolve is tight and to the point, but still feels loose and free. 

Some of the songs on Evolve have already been road tested so listeners will be familiar with them. The energetic “A Wave of Hope” and ominous funk of “Oblivion” fall into this category, and while it can be hard to capture the live feel of a concert in the studio, these songs—for the most part—manage to do so and ?bristle with energy. Take “A Wave of Hope”— when the band drops into the jam therein, it feels like you’re being transported into the middle of a heavy second-set jam at a live show. 

Evolve captures both sides of Phish: the lighter, optimistic side, and the rarer darker side. “Lonely Trip” is a heartfelt number that contains that whimsical Phish charm as guitarist Trey Anastasio sings “While you’re on this lonely trip/Keep a watch for other ships/And if by chance our vessels pass/Perhaps we’ll meet at last.” On the flip side of that is the simmering blues of “Monsters”—the best song here—with Anastasio declaring “I wake up in my bed/With monsters in my head.” It really feels like the next step in the evolution of Phish.

And, hence, the album title. 

But what exactly merits the album title, you ask? Other than the vocal delivery (which you can really feel Anastasio leaning into), there’s more of an expanse to the songs, both lyrically in their bold directness and instrumentally in the band’s interplay, specifically between Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell. While not over the top, the canvas they’re painting on feels bigger as they stretch out sonically on Evolve, while still managing to keep it tight. Much of this is thanks to McConnell as he embellishes and elevates the tunes with his tasteful dashes of synth magic (check his out-of-this world whirls and zips on “Oblivion”).

Evolve is Phish at the height of their powers—great musicianship and strong songwriting that offers genuine emotion. Thankfully the album title doesn’t involve them going way off the road into some unwanted territory, but instead has them showing their best selves on a concise, impactful record. 

For more, visit: phish.com/