Mike Gordon's The Green Sparrow August 7th, 2008 - Entertainment Weekly By Marc Weingarten When he was the bassist for Phish, Gordon would take an occasional lead vocal, which only served to remind fans that bass playing was his primary strength. The same applies to his solo output. As a songwriter, Gordon can craft a beguiling melody; Sparrow opener "Another Door," a steady-rolling charmer about trying to cope without a band, has a strong Phish-y smell to it. And his backing band stretches out into a pleasingly focused jam on "Andelmans' Yard," a hip-shaking pastoral about lost innocense. But Gordon's thin, nasal voice often gets in the way. This is a record about finding simple joy, but that singer is a buzzkill. B- Article Copyright © 2008 Entertainment Weekly. All Rights Reserved.