UMPHREY’S MCGEE

You Walked Up Shaking In Your Boots But You Stood Tall And Left A Raging Bull NOTHING TOO FANCY MUSIC

Jamming brilliance from Chicago instrumental ensemble.

Previous albums from Umphrey’s McGee have veered enthusiastically across the musical spectrum, and this is no different. What the band intriguingly do here is take 12 intro pieces they’ve used over the years to start their live shows and develop these into fully formed compositions. In the process they guide listeners on a journey that goes into disco (There’s No Crying In Mexico), funk (Leave Me Las Vegas), melodic hard rock (Tango Mike) and ambient motifs (Nipple Trix). There’s even a hint of Led Zeppelin’s No Quarter running across October Rain.

What holds it together is the feel of it all being the soundtrack for an unfilmed low-budget 70s heist movie. This is especially noticeable when Joel Cummins’ piano comes to the fore, as on the sleazy Catshot and the spiralling tension of the climactic Gurgle.

The album title refers to a night when guitarist Jake Cinninger guested onstage with Los Lobos. What’s the connection to this music? None. But that’s typical of Umphrey’s McGee: they revel in doing the unexpected, which is why You Walked Up Shaking In Your Boots… is a joy.