Among rockpartyshow’s favourite ensembles, Umphrey’s McGee confirm themselves as one of the best-prepared jam bands on the current scene with their 2018 release “It’s Not Us”.
Most of the eleven tracks on the CD scrupulously follow the dictates of the “jam band” genre: sudden accelerations, striking breaks, guitar blows, hammering rhythms, keyboards focused on creating precious soundscapes for the singing, which is sometimes inspired and sometimes more edgy.
Songs verging towards (no less than) progressive rock (as in the case of the enthralling “Maybe Someday” and of closing track “Black Brush”), muscular rock (“Looks”) or soft jazz (“Speak Up”, featuring Joshua Redman’s sax) are flanked by far more relaxed tracks (such as the enwrapping, crystal-clear “You & You Alone”, written by the sextet’s singer and guitarist Brendan Bayliss).