Ball

Ball

Widespread Panic's eighth album is a rather grave and ponderous affair. Filled with hippie homilies and philosophical ruminations, it sounds more like Jefferson Airplane circa <I>After Bathing At Baxter's</I> than the Allman Brothers, with whom Panic is most often compared. They do include a few of their muscular jazz-tinged rambles, but more often they're intent on documenting their search for meaning. They every right to try to figure things out after the 2002 death of founding guitarist Michael Houser. His absence affected their sound--Houser's intricate guitar solos were integral--as well as how they recorded the album. Rather than road testing these songs, they went straight into the studio, which resulted in a more strident sound for the band. Panic is a band in transition, attempting to regain its equilibrium, soaring to great heights on the extended jam of "Travelin' Man" and "Monstrosity," but also mining classic-rock clichés on "Tortured Artist" and "Papa Johnny Road." <I>--Jaan Uhelszki</I>