Review Summary: Despite a few shortcomings, Umphrey's McGee proves that they can maintain a familiar sound consistency while creating and recording energetic material.
After a string of solid albums and 2009's harrowing effort 'Mantis', Umphrey's McGee appeared to descending past their musical peak. This is a group that tours rigorously, performing multiple sets each night, so a lapse in overall quality was imminent. 2011 ushered in the refreshing release in the form of 'Death By Stereo', which highlighted the band's 'dancier' side while maintaining consistent and impeccable production. Where does 'Similar Skin' fit into the timeline? Instead of regressing back to the overly-progressive qualities of 'Mantis', 'Similar Skin' demonstrates Umphrey's ability to create catchy yet complex music at a high caliber. The band ultimately utilizes the funky nature of 'Death By Stereo' while blending and infusing progressive riffs which makes for a great record.
Since Umphrey's McGee encourages bootleg recording during live performances, most of the songs on the album have been performed and documented well before the actual studio release. Each concert is available for download, so listeners have had access to live versions of just about every track on 'Similar Skin'. While this might deter one from anticipating or purchasing a predictable collection of songs, the studio versions help highlight the group's live abilities. In fact, having the knowledge of UM's over-arching live sound and energy allows the listener to enjoy the album even more. Some bands' material sounds better live than recorded and vice versa (semi-subjectively speaking), so one could argue that UM is a band whose live versions outperform their studio counterparts. But in terms of 'Similar Skin' that's not the case. Instead UM once again proves that they can create and perform entertaining material both in and out of the studio.
The first thing that stands out is the production quality; every instrument (percussion, keys, rhythm, and guitar) maintains consistency with lead guitarist and singer, Brendan Bayliss' vocals throughout the album. Tracks like 'Cut the Cable' and 'Hourglass' are exceptions to this, as Bayliss' and other lead guitarist, Jake Cinniger's distorted sound tend to overpower the rest of the instruments. While this is not exactly a major drawback, it does make some of the tracks less melodic and more guitar driven. Even though 'Similar Skin' maintains superior production, something is more or less missing. Joel Cummins' keys are scarce and pushed to the back, which is unlike tracks on UM's two previous albums. Instead of keyboard-driven songs, Cummins sound assimilates with the rhythm section throughout most of the tracks. The keys do become evident and crucial in 'Little Gift' and 'The Linear' by helping to rhythmically expand both the verse and chorus, as Bayliss' lyrics can occasionally seem overly ambitious.
While UM's lyrics can be witty and introspective, Bayliss' voice hardly shifts intonation between verse and chorus. This becomes apparent again in semi-filler tracks like 'Cut the Cable' and 'Hour Glass', although drummer Andy Farag shines by effectively bridging every transition which makes these songs less forgettable and more listenable. So far it may seem like 'Similar Skin' is not an all that memorable effort, but the album does have more positive elements than negative.
Take 'No Diablo' for example, right away the semi-muted guitar riffing slowly builds anticipation while accompanying the vocals. The listener is then rewarded with a flawless transition from buildup to a very catchy chorus. 'No Diablo' is reflective of both UM's progressive and funky tendencies, which builds off of successful tracks from their two previous albums. Even the opening track, 'The Linear' provides a glimpse of variety in the sense that Bayliss and Cinniger utilize different and distinct guitar effects. Here the guitar parts are expansive and create an deep, echoing sound that ultimately command the somewhat eerie tone of the song.
There are moments throughout 'Similar Skin' where Bayliss and Cinniger rely on constant distortion, but the drums and bass follow suit without hesitation. This truly forecasts UM's ability to collaborate efficiently and almost effortlessly without mismatching timing or pace. The final track, 'Bridgeless', has been a part of the group's live repertoire for awhile, making the recorded version much more familiar and satisfying. 'Bridgeless' is much heavier than most of the other songs, relying primarily on a swift and progressive guitar riff. UM is very good at being unpredictable when it comes to song transitions, and this is the case for 'Bridgeless'. Bayliss' lead guitar drives and commands the rest of the group throughout, while never becoming predictable or mundane. During the verse, the main riff is not entirely creative but it functions wonderfully in harmony with Bayliss' vocals, easily making 'Bridgeless' one of the band's catchiest and well-written songs.
Ultimately 'Similar Skin' is a solid follow up to 2011's 'Death By Stereo', showcasing the continually growing talents of Bayliss and Cinniger. The album offers a couple standout tracks, but is primarily guitar-driven rather than emphasizing any other instruments (I'm referring to you, Andy Farag).
Recommended tracks:
- The Linear
- No Diablo
- Bridgeless
