Mantis arrived on January 20, 2009 as this most unique of things: The first album conceived entirely in the studio by Umphrey’s McGee.
They were already the best improv rock band in the country, having developed a fast-growing devoted following. Umphrey’s McGee then heightened anticipation for this album even further with a sly, innovative marketing ploy. There were a whopping total of 45 bonus audio tracks tacked on to Mantis, including outtakes, alternates recordings and live tracks. There were also videos, behind-the-scenes perspectives, videos, and “plenty of quirky surprises.” How many of those extra tracks were unlocked on the resulting album depended on the amount of pre-orders.
“We wanted to do something special for the fans, make this release as exciting for them as it is for us,” Umphrey’s McGee guitarist Jake Cinninger said back then. “We wanted to put the reins in their hands, get them involved in spreading the word about the album, and give the release a human touch by giving the fans more. It’s the give and take between us and the fans that makes it possible for us to tour and grow as a band; the fans play an important role in everything we do.”
Otherwise, Mantis didn’t represent a marked departure for Umphrey’s McGee, who’d always offered a carefully balanced mix of melodicism, musicianship and meaningful material. The distinction on this album, which was more than two years in the making, instead had to do with a narrower focus. While 2007’s The Bottom Half, for instance, went from reggae to country to extended jams in the blink of an eye, Mantis stuck squarely with the rock side of Umphrey’s McGee from beginning to end.
The only real variation you’ll find here was the length of the songs; Mantis features four seven-minute plus extended forms, a couple of medium length tracks and four tracks cut down to radio or interlude size.
The unpredictability and humor that shone through on their earlier road-composed albums were a big part of what made them so fun to listen to. That was all but gone on Mantis; what you get in its place are songs that are smoother and usually more fully realized. What remained was a predilection for smart, layered songs and some simply fantastic group playing. It amounted to a trade off that some Umphrey’s McGee fans may or may not have liked, but that shouldn’t have distracted from the larger point: Mantis was still an often-great album.
The early-release single “Made to Measure” was the obvious choice for radio play, as it was also the most succinct. Maybe too much so, as it clocks out at just over three minutes. Contained within its 200 seconds, though, were delicate threads of catchy pop markers like a small string section, clarinets, smooth harmonies, and staggered but logical chord progressions. “Made To Measure” could be mistaken for a late-period XTC concoction.
The epic, 12-minute title track wasn’t composed on the stage, but – more than the rest of Mantis – this multi-part Umphrey’s McGee rock symphony sounded like it could have been. Sweeping and serious-minded, and replete with string charts, there’s very little musical ground in prog rock left not tread upon. “Cemetary Walk” was the high point of the set; soaring choruses, shifting moods and terrific group interplay earned it the distinction of being the centerpiece song even more so than the title cut. Most of all, “Cemetary Walk” had a wonderfully urgent melody that stayed in the brain long after listen, while not sacrificing any substance. The conclusion took an approach similar to the Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” building up to a climax intensified by synth-generated white noise until it was abruptly cut off.
“Turn & Run” was powered by drummer Kris Meyers’ and bassist Ryan Stasik’s tight syncopation behind a dead-on riff. It also boasted a blistering guitar solo that burned for two minutes, all the way to the fade-out. “Spires” presented prog in a heavy-metal wrapper until it morphed into some pleasant space rock, à la Pink Floyd. “Prophecy Now” was a dreamy, psychedelic incantation that flirted with Middle-Eastern influences.
The last two tracks, “Red Tape” and “1348,” didn’t have the ambitions of most of the prior songs, but suffered only in comparison. The former benefited from the dual guitar attack of Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger, while the latter demonstrated Umphrey’s McGee’s ability to fold funk into a dense, hard rocking song.
Given all the time and effort that went into it, Mantis might still be one of the group’s proudest achievements. Incubated for the first time in a studio, the album showed that even when you take away Umphrey’s McGee’s principal strengths of spontaneity and informal composing, you’re still left with some very good music.
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