[rating=8.00]
Umphrey’s McGee stays true to form on it’s not us, in that there is no form. Any Umphrey’s album or show is a stylistic journey, but this album shifts gears more than any they’ve released so far. Recorded over one week in late 2016, It’s Not Us is the band’s latest attempt to capture a moving target: their constantly evolving sound. Not surprisingly, that process takes a while. At least one of the “new” songs has been germinating for some time – lead single “The Silent Type”, the lyrics of which have been popping up at live shows for several years. It’s like nothing the band has released before, a laser blast of frantic beats exploding against a wall of guitars and keyboards, aimed directly at the brain via Brendan Bayliss’ cinematic lyrics.
The new songs are an indicator that Umphrey’s McGee has no plans to sit still. “The Silent Type” hits on a thumping dance vibe that is never revisited as the album moves through moods. “Looks” and “Dark Brush”, both of which feature Jake Cinninger’s vocals, unsurprisingly hew toward the guitarist’s darker prog and hard rock tendencies. “Maybe Someday” and “Half Delayed” could become new Umphrey’s classics, as they feature the winning combination of lyrical rumination and instrumental fireworks that has come to define the band. “Half Delayed” is a highlight of the album and should become a staple at concerts as well, full of gliding, cozy bass from Ryan Stasik and anchored by a deceptively triumphant chorus. “Piranhas” toes the line between groovy psychedelic rock and moody introspection, with kinetic beats underneath self-aware lyrics like “These foolish things that people do/I understand, I’m guilty too”.
After a straightforward take on the multi-faceted live favorite “Remind Me”, with its climactic metal outro, the listener is dropped from those dizzying electric heights into the mellow, acoustic tones of “You And You Alone”, and then into the spirited “Forks”, with it’s sunny disposition and upbeat rhythm. It makes for quite a rollercoaster ride, one that could be a bit disorienting for newcomers. “Speak Up” is also a counterpart to these bright moments, a funky showcase for Kris Myers’ powerful drumming, buoyed by the saxophone perfection of Joshua Redman. As much ground as the band covers on it’s not us, there aren’t many jazzy, jammy moments here, and that’s likely by design. The band and their fans get plenty of planned and unplanned improvisation on tour. Overall, it’s a tightly constructed, densely layered album with a dark tone that is occasionally split by beams of light and another unique addition to the Umphrey’s McGee studio canon.
