“Pretty good, but not as great as it should be” It pains me to finally admit this, as I usually have nothing but positive things to say about Umphrey’s McGee, but I have to agree with reviewer Mr Stanley, who flatly pointed out that MANTIS is just not as great as many of the reviews on this site are indicating. It’s certainly not up to the level of ANCHOR DROPS, SAFETY IN NUMBERS, or the incomparable LOCAL BAND DOES OK.
First of all, let’s deal with the much ballyhooed title track. Yes, it’s good, but we need to face the fact that just because a song is listed at 11+ minutes, that doesn’t automatically make it a spectacular cohesive epic. Without question, “Mantis” (the song) starts out wonderfully with a very aggressive instrumental section that feels like a close cousin to “Wizard Burial Ground”. And even when the vocals start (“We believe there’s something here worth dying for…”), you can’t help but feel like you’re in for something really special.
But the song never really delivers like it should. Th…
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Just not up to par…  I think a 1.5 star is a good review for this record, but I will give them 2 since only whole stars are allowed. I just don’t think this album is anywhere as good as their older albums, especially Anchor Drops. They whole album feels inconsistent and just different composition edited together to make long songs. Almost like they took jams they have written the past 2 years and picked the best, but only pieces of them, and squashed them together (the Jimmy Stewart compilations do a better job to combining some of their best jams in their entirety). I just felt highly disappointed with this album and think it is a huge step backwards… Starting to grow on me. Mantis is Meaty |
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2 Comments until now
All Aboard the Musical Kaleidoscope!
I am new to the music of Umphrey’s McGee, having been introduced to their unique and awesome sound in the past three weeks. I think Safety in Numbers is a killer cd. However, I did not expect the musical soundscape that awaited me upon listening to Mantis.
I do believe there is a bit of everything here! From the string arrangements in Made to Measure, to the dance beat in Cemetery Walk II, to the perfect vocal harmonizing at the end of Spires. These are some truly talented musicians, and talent is an understatement.
I think if I had one negative thing to say it wouldn’t be about the band, or this treasure trove of beautiful music. It would be about the other “fans” who have taken to writing critical reviews of Mantis. If I had been fortunate enough to hear these guys earlier, I don’t believe I would be heavily criticizing their musical effort in this new release. Instead I would and am thankful that they made a great cd and that I am fortunate enough to hear it!
If you haven’t heard these guys do yourself a favor and buy this cd. If you are a fan, then what are you waiting for? Get this cd now!!!
At its best, it’s an amazing album
After 2006’s somber but excellent Safety in Numbers, Umphrey’s McGee return with their latest studio release, Mantis. Definitely their most sophisticated release, the songs are longer for the most part and there is a lot of piano featured and some strings added for color. When Mantis is at its best, it’s an amazing album. “Cemetery Walk” is an awesome track with the band sounding like a heavier Steely Dan between the piano hook and the harmonies during the chorus. The title track is very adventurous, full of several mood swings and tempo changes, and the last 4 minutes work very well as the song builds in emotion until its abrupt end. The upbeat “Turn & Run” is both funky and jangly with another great chorus and one of several featuring a great guitar solo from Jake Cinninger. The album does peter out a little after this as “Spires” is a great progressive track that would have been best left at just under 5 minutes while the eclectic “1348″ and the heavy “Red Tape” are decent but don’t touch the first five tunes (I don’t count “Preamble”). If you’re already a fan, you’ll dig Mantis and “Cemetery Walk”, “Turn & Run”, and the title track are certainly among their best work.
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