Sam Potter

UM hasn’t put out a great album since Mantis. Since the band’s inception, they’ve been known for knotty, intricate songs full of jaw-dropping prog-rock moments incorporating complex unison passages and soaring lead guitar passages. But over the albums since Death By Stereo, the band’s sound has flattened out from the groove/funk/rock textures they excelled at, to rather vanilla, straightforward affairs. Previous albums were peppered by fascinating guitar work predominantly by guitarist Jake Cinninger. His blend of bluesy and jazzy passages, coupled with Van Halen-esque two-handed tapping added levels of bravado and grit that gave the songs the attitude that singer Brendan Bayliss lacked in his relatively bland vocal delivery. Drummer Kris Meyer’s’ background in jazz drumming gave UM’s earlier albums an infectious pocket and swing. Much of that has been neutered on recent releases, and “Asking For A Friend” continues that trend. UM is known for their live experience, which frequently veers off into extended improvisational jams. Since Death By Stereo, the band has gradually tried to incorporate more of these into their songwriting. Unfortunately, many of the songs written this way seem forced and uninspired. Their love for disco/house/trance grooves also tends to flatten out the syncopation, funkiness and unpredictability of their earlier work. In short, “Asking For A Friend” is a bland effort from an extremely talented band that is capable of much, much more. Compare this to “Anchor Drops”, which sees the band flex its musical might to the heights it is famous for. Perhaps the band would benefit to cease trying to force life jams into a song and spend more time working on the inspired bits the members developed on their own before bringing them to the band.