The material on
Umphrey's McGee's first studio album,
Local Band Does O.K., is progressive in the sense that -- like early
Phish -- it places an emphasis on complexly interlocking, deftly executed instrumental parts. It is music that is obviously challenging to play and seems to make a point in reveling in itself, though it is decidedly not challenging to the listener. There is little dissonance or sonic experimentation. That said, the band's sprawling excursions, which flip between arranged and improvised, are quite enjoyable. There is an easygoing, expansive quality to the band's melodies, which certainly don't rush, but don't quite feel vital or emotional either. Though the band is occasionally supplemented by a trumpet or an alto saxophone and a few acoustic guitars turn up in the mix, there is really little to suggest that
Local Band Does O.K. is little more than what the band's live performances are like. The music mixes the usual jam band influences: progressive rock, Latin grooves, hints of electronic beats, funk, jazz fusion, and humor. For those who prefer the
Frank Zappa strain of jam bands to the funk or Americana approaches,
Umphrey's McGee are fine exemplars of the style, and
Local Band Does O.K. is a solid, straight-up document of that. ~ Jesse Jarnow