Umphrey’s McGee: Blueprints

A few buddies and I took a trip to Nashville this past April to reconnect, so I checked the local venues for any good bands would be in town. Umphrey’s McGee were scheduled to play at the famous Ryman Auditorium, so I grabbed tickets. My friends and I were completely blown away by the show we saw, and it’s not often when that happens seeing a band live that you’re unfamiliar with their music. I immediately connected with the band and their music, I was hooked. Yes, they are labeled a jam band, but get that laid back go with the flow image out of your mind, these guys get intense, heavy, and yes, quite progressive in their approach.

Lo and behold, just a few months later since I’ve leapt on the bandwagon, we have the new album Blueprints. The album's 5 main tracks are broken up into sections labeled “Legos�. The concept behind Legos is the band takes ideas that came out of live jams, and these are the building blocks for the song. If you’ve ever played live, you understand that there are moments that click, and when they do it is a magical experience.

I love the opening to “Wide Open (Lego 1)�, cool instrumentation with a slow but heavy groove. On repeated listens to the album, you will instinctively feel when the band segues from one Lego to the next. “Wide Open (Lego 3�) features an emotional Gilmouresque guitar solo from Jake Cinninger which perfectly fits the atmosphere, simply beautiful.

“Unevolved� has the most Legos coming in with 8 sections. From the dancefloor groove of Lego 1, to the short instrumental transition of Lego 2 that builds tension that is unleashed with more killer guitar work during (Lego 3). (Lego 4) has heavy backing music, but Cinninger and keyboardist Joel Cummins create a spacey atmosphere while maintaining that danceable groove. I love Cummins subtle keyboard parts, so effective and vital to the vibe, and the band knows how to build tension, the closing guitar solo nails it. I like listening to how they transition from one section to the next. (Lego 7) - gives me a 80s Crimson feel with the weaving parts and (Lego 8) simmers with a beautiful piano motif, as vocalist/guitarist Brendan Bayliss joins Cinninger for some unison guitar leads, the band again shows how to create great tension and release just killing it at the end of the song. Bassist Ryan Stasik, drummer Kris Myers and percussionist Andy Farag need to be mentioned, as this powerful rhythm section propels this music, intense, tight and energetic performances from each of them.

The band blends many styles together to create their sound. Each Lego brings something different, so you aren’t getting the standard verse, chorus, verse, bridge…type of songwriting. “Exit Signs (Lego 3)� is my favorite part from this song, a strong vocal from Bayliss, and more killer dual guitar, they rock out with such conviction. This record has a live feel to it, and that’s a compliment, because it’s something that isn't easy to recreate in the studio setting.

“Out of Focus (Lego 1-5)� opens with cool staccato keyboard part and a metallic guitar riff. The transition that happens during (Lego 3) a short instrumental section with a very different feel, creates another magic moment. (Lego 5) brings back the dance floor funk with high falsetto vocals, check out the rhythm and lead guitar playing in this section, very effective.

“Den - (Lego 1-2)� is the only completely instrumental piece of music, again coupling a dance groove with a rocking motif and a driving heavy metal dual guitar riff. You can imagine the band could take this three-minute piece of music and extend it live to parts unknown.

“Concessions- (Lego 1-3)� contains my favorite guitar riff on the album, infectious!! The band plays perfectly off it, I love the electric keys from Cummins. Why not infuse a little Reggae into the track to mix it up? I love the second half of "Lego 2" where the band tears everything down and just starts building the intensity, listening again to Stasik and Myers underneath, while the guitars and keys catch fire.

I’ll admit I am in my honeymoon period with Umphrey’s McGee, and I have a lot of listening to do. Blueprints is a perfect statement from them, this is a band you want to see live (believe me), and this album is able to capture that live vibe. So make sure to give Umphrey’s McGee a listen, you might find yourself a new band to explore.

Track Listing
1. Wide Open (Lego 1 -3)
2. Unevolved (Lego 1-8)
3. Out of Focus (Lego 1-5)
4. Den (Lego 1-2)
5. Concessions (Lego 1-3)

Added: September 27th 2025
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 636
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend ]