Umphrey's McGee won't be a band that will go from unknown tofamous overnight, instead it will take the slow and steady route,winning over fans one at a time with strong talent.
The group's new CD, Anchor Drops, proves this with its carefulcraftsmanship and the humility -- the feeling that it's more aboutthe fun of music than stardom.
The lead song, "Plunger," kicks off with aMario-Bros.-soundtrack sound and travels with dynamic changes.Although the lyrics feel slightly pat and cliche, the music breaksthe mold two-thirds into the song and reshapes again and again witheverything from delicate Latin stylings to a chaotic chordprogression.
Umphrey's music is much better when the music leads than whenthe lyrics try to take center stage, as in "In the Kitchen,"immediately losing the group's uniqueness and spontaneity. "MissTinkle's Overture" is really what Umphrey's McGee is all about --it made me want to dance and felt like an adventure.
This may make it hard for the band to get big fast. But lettingthe music lead seems to win in the long run. After all, no onetells Santana to make his lyrics more pop. In a world of cookiecutter songs produced by the same handful of groups, Umphrey'sMcGee is a breath of fresh air.
Their performance at the 2004 Bonnaroo music festival, wheremusicians and listeners don't mind a musical tangent, proved theirversatility and sense of humor as they rotated instruments with theband moe. and covered Metallica songs.
Umphrey's has been labeled a "jam band" by default because oftheir longer songs, unpredictable musical changes and love forimprovisation. It is a sign of the times that anyone who doesn'tfit neatly into a radio spot should be an outsider -- no one wouldcall the Beatles or the Doors a jam band, just real musicians.
Umphrey's McGee encourages the taping and trading of their liveperformances, saying they "feel that each show is unique and wantto extend the ability to our fans to recreate the live experiencelong after the show ends."
That is what Anchor Drops feels like, a recreation of a genuinegood time well worth the $13.99 sticker price.
