Umphrey's McGee - "Safety In Numbers" Review

Artist/ Band: Umphrey's McGee
Title: Safety In Numbers
Label: InsideOut Music
Year of Release: 2006
Artist/ Band Link (click for details/ ordering)

The Review:

For the past year or so, I’ve been reading many wonderful things online about this band called Umphrey’s McGee. Seems they combined the Jam band aspects along with some progressive rock elements. Just imagine combining the sounds of say, Phish with Genesis and yes. That’s the basis of how Umphrey’s McGee sounds. Their sound incorporates improvisations, spontaneous melodies, and extended solos that are often found in country to blues to jazz, bluegrass, funk, and rock’n’roll. Thus making it hard to classify them, which I’m sure is fine by the band.

The band is based out of Chicago and on their new album Safety In Numbers, they music while still retaining the vibe of a Jam band, takes on a more focused and structured compositions rather than improvisational complex rhythms. Even in a shorter concise format, the band defies category with it’s excursions into the afore mentioned styles especially blue-grass, jazz and blues. So the band is showing that longer studio tracks doesn’t always mean better. I’m sure for the die-hard fans that in a live format these songs will be done in a expanded extended format.

Even though the band has claimed, they have decided to save their more progressive and complex compositions for a future release. With that being said, this album will satisfy most progressive rock fans, especially those with forward thinking attitudes. I wasn’t blown away with Safety In Numbers but I did find it to be a very nice album, a change from the chaotic metallic assaults of the day. I will be seeking out the rest of the band’s catalog in the very near future and I’d recommend other newbies to do the same.

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on March 28th, 2006

Tracks:

1. Believe The Lie (6:56)

2. Rocker (5:29)

3. Liquid (3:32)

4. Words (7:08)

5. Nemo (4:25)

6. Women, Wine And Song (3:53)

7. Intentions Clear (5:50)

8. End Of The Road (3:16)

9. Passing (4:15)

10. Ocean Billy (6:37)

11. The Weight Around (3:33)