It's been a productive few years for Chicago-based jam/prog rockers Umphrey's McGee. Thanks in part to a relentless bi-coastal touring schedule and the release of their critically lauded album "Anchor Drops" (2004), Umphrey's has been riding a wave of popularity.
But just after the band rung in 2005 with a triumphant New Year's Eve concert at Chicago's Riviera Theatre, that wave threatened to crash. On the way to an after-party, a close friend of the band was struck and killed by a drunk driver. That spring, armed with the intense emotions that come with losing a close friend, Umphrey's entered the studio with longtime soundman Kevin Browning to record their next album.
Their latest album is the result of these sessions. "Safety in Numbers" represents the band's effort to place these emotions in a sonic context. Great personal loss often forces one to change his or her perspective on life and reappraise what is important, and "Safety in Numbers" provides a window into the band's collective mind during what is normally a very private time.
While previous Umphrey's studio albums have served as showcases for the band's high-octane compositions and massive chops, which have been meticulously honed in clubs and theaters across the country (they'll be at the Avalon on Saturday, May 6), "Safety in Numbers" - out this Tuesday, Apr. 4 - is a refreshing departure from this trend. The 11 tracks chosen for the final release ("Safety in Numbers" was originally intended to be an acoustic/electric double album) shows Umphrey's McGee taking a more patient, thoughtful approach to crafting an album. This change of tactic works well, as "Safety in Numbers" introduces the listener to the band's darker side. It's a side that has been hinted at, but not fully featured until now.
The disc begins with the aggressive "Believe The Lie," which features the talents of lead guitarists Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss (also the band's primary lyricist). The stereo mix of this song separates Cinninger and Bayliss's contributions, focusing the listener's attention on what has become one of the band's calling cards: the furious interplay between the two guitars.
As Cinninger and Bayliss's guitars pull the attention of the listeners back and forth, the lyrics add fuel to the fire. Bayliss's lyrics "If you believe in all the lies / you're never free to walk away / you should be free to go today" are followed by the refrain "Believe the lie and it will all come true" from Cinninger.
The rhythmic ebb and flow of "Believe The Lie" sets the table for the rest of the album, an undulating soundscape containing dense forests that periodically open to reveal sweeping vistas. Two tracks on the album, "Rocker" and "Words," pay homage to the band's fallen friend. While both songs are fitting tributes, "Words," authored by keyboardist Joel Cummins, makes the strongest statement of any of the tracks on the album. It begins with a sparse descending drum melody that provides the foundation for guitar and keyboard lines that alternately ascend and descend, causing the aural extents of the song to diverge and converge, providing perfect complements to the mood of the lyrics.
The second half of "Safety in Numbers" leaves the somber tributes behind, opening with two songs that provide a quick change of pace and prove to listeners that Umphrey's song-craft still possesses the vim and vigor of old.
From the opening hook of the fifth track, "Nemo," through the end of the next, the curiously infectious "Women Wine and Song" (to which Huey Lewis lends his talents on vocals and harmonica), Bayliss and company put the past behind them, and use their fresh, new perspective on life as inspiration. "So set in motion / what your life's missing," Bayliss demands on "Nemo."
After the rollicking interlude of "Nemo" and "Women Wine and Song," the album concludes with a quintet of songs that maintain the darker theme of the earlier tracks, but allows Umphrey's to flex their compositional muscles over a wide variety of styles.
From the haunting intensity of "Intentions Clear" - which is infused with saxophone from frequent collaborator Joshua Redman - to the echoing soundscapes of live staple "Ocean Billy" to the beautiful acoustic harmonies of "The Weight Around," this reviewer was kept interested until the end of the album. Like a great painting, "Safety in Numbers" holds up to close scrutiny, yet still coheres as a whole when viewed from afar.
With the release of "Safety in Numbers," the band exhibits a side of itself that fans have previously glimpsed only briefly. Umphrey's has spun aural art out of grief, and their new album successfully turns tragedy on its ear, while bringing a sonic gem to ours.
