Umphrey's McGee has been a road-warrior band for 14 years. With more than 1,500 live performances to the band’s credit, and only five previous studio albums, the band has established themselves as one of the top-tier “jam bands” on the circuit.

I put that word in quotes because I believe they are much more than what that word implies. UMG is a progressive, heavy, funky, thoughtful and creative rock band that owes more to King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Mike Oldfield, Black Sabbath and Frank Zappa than it does to the Grateful Dead, and with their sixth studio effort, “Death By Stereo,” the band punctuates that statement with bold letters and italics.

With only two songs over the five-minute mark, “Death By Stereo” is a song-oriented album that never ceases to surprise and delight. Opening with two brand new songs that were never road-tested, the band displays its seemingly unlimited creativity, first with “Miami Virtue,” a progressive dancer not without their signature “hairpin turns,” and then with the bluesy metal rocker “Domino Theory,” in which guitarist Brendan Bayliss touts “you think you've figured out this machine, but you're way off.” This is only one of several lyrics that allude to the fact that UMG never rests in re-inventing themselves.

To avoid fan burnout, and in keeping with the band’s own desire to avoid the rut into which so many other road bands fall, Umphrey's McGee constantly tweaks its arrangements and approach to many songs the band has been playing for years. “Death By Stereo” defies expectations by limiting guitar solos, allowing the rhythm section to shine with some amazing work by Kris Myers (drums), Andy Farag (percussion), and Ryan Stasik (bass), while Jake Cinninger (guitar), Joel Cummins (keyboards) and the aforementioned Bayliss maintain jaw-dropping presence and precision on their instruments as well as vocally.

With “Death By Stereo,” Umphrey's McGee gets my vote for this generation's most creative band in the known universe, as well as my vote for the best album of the year so far.

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