It’ll be years before the Phish shadow fades on any new improv-rock band from Vermont; with their numerous similarities, RAQ may be shaded even longer. Yet the difference between RAQ and their young jam colleagues is that while most bands happily bask in the contemporary Phish wake, always a ripple behind in innovation and technique; RAQ has gone back to the Burlington glory days, revitalizing all the band’s originality and capturing the sincerity of the dorm room spirit that made Phish the eventual kings of the arena setting. So yeah, they do sound a lot alike, but they’re reminiscent of that earlier, innocent Phish; back when the band was struggling, and had a real fire in their belly. A time when Trey Anastasio wasn’t eating catered food in a penthouse suite, but couldn’t sleep with anticipation before playing at a UMASS frat party.
So naturally, it’s no shock that RAQ’s newly released second album,
Carbohydrates, produced by Grammy Award winner Mark Johnson (Paul Simon, Los Lobos, Jackson Browne) comes off as a novice studio effort with a freight train of boiling potential. Full of ever-changing compositions, quirky lyrics and ripping guitar solos; the twelve selections paint a full canvas picture of a band about to make a serious mark on the jam scene. Sound familiar? Now throw in Vermont four-piece and you get an idea of the uphill battle ahead of them.
Delving deep into the Zappa side of things, “Shirley Be A Drooler” gets things going, with oddities abounding over the keyboard work of newest member, Todd Stoops. Stirring vocal talents that hint toward God Street Wine harmonies, “TheDownLow” and “Hannah Can,” come to life, as the consistent flow of the record is proficiently balanced with contrasting instrumental vignettes, “The Hunter Becomes the Hunted” and “Barometric Whether.” But the real strengths come from their songwriting maturity, not often seen at this level so early on.
RAQ can thoroughly develop a storyline, without being self-indulgent. Creating identifiable characters that move atop charismatic instrumentation, giving the listener something substantial to hold on to. The title track, “Carbohydrates Are The Enemy,” layered over Greg Stuckey’s “The Wedge” inspired drumming, is destined to be a set-maker when they move into bigger rooms. Bassist Jay Burwick delicately fills the song's open spaces, allowing Chris Michetti to patiently deliver the best guitar moments of the album. And the playful humor that is subtly dispersed within the centerpiece, “Circumstance,” is a defining element. A true gem, slinky like a Steely Dan classic, it wispily meanders along, almost allowing one to miss the clever camel toe nods.
