Trey Anastasio's Shine

Phish fans turned off by the group’s last album “Undermind” may want to steer clear of “Shine,” lead guitarist Trey Anastasio’s first solo effort since the breakup of the band.

His new effort picks up on the seeds of pop sown most notably in “The Connection,” a song off of “Undermind” that was tight, breezy and very un-jam band like.

Much the same can be said of the 12 tracks on “Shine,” each of which are under six minutes in length. They have a tighter, more refined, exuberant hard-edge rock sound to them. Anastasio did all the guitar playing and writing, which obviously results in his stamp all over the music, but also leaves a certain sameness to the final result.

Anastasio, who disbanded Phish in 2004 saying it had run its course, seems to be fishing (no pun intended) for something new in “Shine.” And while he doesn’t seem adrift, he also doesn’t seem settled.

That said, it’s encouraging to see “Shine” take on a personality of its own apart from whatever expectations his Phish-fans may bring with it.

The true measure of whether “Shine” will stand up over time will be what Anastasio does next. Is this the beginning of an even better, exciting musical adventure or just the post-Phish rebound disc?