Drummer Joe Russo has been part of the Relix lexicon for so long, it’s hard to imagine that, until this year, he’d never actually released a solo album. Over the past two decades, Russo’s been a part of American Babies, Phil Lesh & Friends, Fat Mama, Furthur and, naturally, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and the Benevento-Russo Duo. Then, in May, like it wasn’t a big deal,
Russo dropped phér•bo˘ney on his daughter’s birthday, presenting it as “a thing I made.” A modest thing, sure, but a beautiful one, written, performed and recorded by Russo with the help of a handful of friends. Russo wrote eight of the nine tracks, and the album is as melodic as it is rhythmic, roaming into searing acid jazz, simmering trip-hop and psych-rock, all while maintaining a daringly experimental vibe. That sense of low expectations and high innovation gives phér•bo˘ney a playful feeling throughout; for the listener, a first listen is truly venturing into the unknown. Songs like “Can’t Wink” and “You’re So Delicate” unfold slowly and beautifully, laying the roots for gentle grooves with breezy, circular acoustic guitars, pitter-pattering percussion and warm synth lines. Like a music box for grown-ups, they’re magical and comforting. “Wild” sways along with Stuart Bogie (Antibalas, TV on the Radio) on clarinet while Bob Weir/Craig Finn collaborator Josh Kaufman adds color on a handful of songs. phér•bo˘ney is a curious grin of a record: It’s mischievous and fun, and filled with possibility.