BEAST IN THE MAZE

  Welcome back to the Maze! This time, we're tackling Phish's sixth studio album, Billy Breathes . Featuring a much different sound than its predecessor, Hoist , this album represents the band departing from the collaborative LA production present on the previous record in favor of a return to songs built from improvisation and far fewer guest musicians. Lyrically, many of the songs on the album were initially conceived by the Anastasio/Marshall songwriting duo during a vacation to the Cayman Islands, including the enigmatic "Character Zero," supposedly inspired by a DJ who was local to that area. There are of course exceptions for the obligatory Mike and Page songs ("Cars Trucks Buses" and "Train Song"), the string-heavy instrumental "Bliss," and the title track, which was inspired by the birth of Anastasio's daughter. Join us for the episode as we take on the tracks one by one as well as discussing the cover art (you really can see