Mantis has arrived

Umphrey's McGee just released their newest studio album, Mantis!

I have been awaiting Mantis for quite some time now. I didn’t know how it would fare, given that it is entirely new material, never heard before. One of my favorite things about UM albums is the quirkiness of the recordings. The questions like: (a) How is Bayliss going to decide what lyrics to keep? (b) What are they going to add or take away and save for the jam-times? etc etc. Even if the album isn’t the best, all of the bonus material should more than make up for it. :) Here is Mantis:

Track 1: "Made to Measure"
The opening to Mantis is the first single. I'm not a big fan of this. I've always liked when a single is buried. I was at the show when this song was first played, but, alas, I was shitting. Okay enough other crap, the music: a very catchy song that has an air of cabaret type backing the vocals. It has classic UM vocal arrangements and even a clarinet breakdown. Very good, but not rockin' start. B+

Track 2: "Preamble"
Preamble as track 2? Not cool. Not really a song though. It just has some light piano probably from Joel Nathanial Cummins.

Track 3: "Mantis"
This song clocks in at an amazing 11 minutes and 51 seconds. It takes the listener on an audio roller coaster from the very get-go. The vocals are surprisingly bitter sweet as they begin: "We believe that something here is worth dying for." The lyrics have a biting cynicism to them, where Bayliss talks mostly in the past tense. After the verses, it spirals down to a dark minimal area (where they will probably put a jam when live). Some more vocals come in onto which they build up an almost march, then capping that section with a Pink-Floydian solo atop a driving beat, fading into the last moments of the track. It is everything a UM fan could ask for in a title track. A

Track 4: “Cemetery Walk”
This is one of my favorites from the album. It starts with a subdued piano intro and kicks it right into the upbeat catchy verses. The second verse of this song has the lyric that spawned the artist to come up with the album cover. “It’s not a cage if you’re feeling like a resident.” The choruses take the song into a nice slower pace, but only for a short time before the rock into some fast solos. The second half of this song is where I can see the title “Cemetery Walk.” It is very haunting.

Track 5: “Cemetery Walk II”
I can’t help but think that think that this is the song that Andy Farag (the percussionist and beat guru) had the biggest hand in. It lays one of Joel’s piano parts from “Cemetery Walk” and puts some funky fresh beats on it. I like it a lot.

Track 6: “Turn & Run”
The song has a taste of country in it. It provides a jam with a little Southern twang to it. It has a nice refrain with some angelic backing vocals as well. This song has one of my favorite solos on the album. Right after the verse-chorus-verse-chorus thing they do, it starts to break down a little bit and the solo that rocks sounds like it is being played on a very small amp in a basement…and then the solo continues for a few minutes until the song fades out.

Track 7: “Spires”
My proudest UM fan moment on this record is the fact that I saw the verse of this song when it was being created in the form of a “Jimmy Stewart” with lyrics at Chicago’s Navy Pier in August of ’06. The song is pretty awesome and has some nice tandem guitar work near the middle of the song only to blast the listener right back into the rockin’ riff (added pinch harmonics). Where the radio edit of the song would stop (about 5 minutes in), a soaring vocal arrangement comes in and lulls us out of the song which had started so tough and gritty.

Track 8: “Prophecy Now”
Unfortunately, I would say this is my least favorite song on the album. It is slowly and dragging. It has a weird and interesting melody. It seems like it is the only lyrics that Jake wrote that made it onto the album.

Track 9: “Red Tape”
“Red Tape” begins with a riff straight out of the 80’s, but with a UM flare. The middle of this song reminds me of Frank Zappa. It has the offbeat going for it with a synthesizer over it. Very cool. The final solo in this song has the best start. I don’t really know how to explain it but it begins with a pizzicato (sp?) strum of the strings and, uh, listen to it. Plus, this song is another example of a song that just fades out. They aren’t going to do that live, so why don’t they end it on the album?

Track 10: “1348”
This is the best track on the album by far. From start to finish it delivers. It is definitely on the more prog-rock side of things. Maybe a little King Crimson-esque. It reminds me of the days of UM with Andy’s Last Beer and even JaJunk. The song has an metallic feel about a lot of parts. It has a killer riff-hook, pretty unique lyrics, and a driving aura about it. Give it a listen and eargasm. Perfect end to the disc.

After listening to this album many many many times over, I have concluded this to ROCK! It unfortunately has a severe lack of instrumental tracks, but Bayliss does not disappoint with his lyric mastery. Anyone who is anyone should buy this album (to support music) and give it the old radio-in-the-car test or the headphones-at-home test or find your favorite stereo and blow the lid off. Have fun kids.