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By Richard Clark
This question comes up frequently: can an improvisational rock band known for powerful performances capture the magic of a live show on a studio CD? Plenty of excellent live performers do a great job producing quality listening experiences in the studio. The best studio recordings come from artists that embrace the technology, time, and atmosphere a studio can provide yet avoid the dry, sterile sound that is the downfall of too many studio recordings.
With The I's Mind, U-Melt's second studio release, the band captures the essence of their exuberant live performances brilliantly (gyrating and sweaty bodies not included) in the pristine quality of the studio setting. Creative input comes from a variety of directions in the band. George Miller (drums, lead and backing vocals), Rob Salzer, (guitar, lead and backing vocals), and Zac Lasher (keyboards, lead and backing vocals) all write songs, and the entire band, including Adam Bendy (bass, backing vocals), work out the final arrangements. Musical variations do not only come from having three talented principal writers in the band, the arrangements allow for optimal freedom for everyone to stretch out instrumentally and produce music that takes the listener on a voyage full of transitions that twist, turn, tower, and plummet. Ultimately, the writer gives the final "ok" on the completed piece and gets lead vocal honors. Thus, George Miller sings his poetic lyrics in the opening track "Air," which cruises over the energetic instrument playing of the group. The song kicks off with a catchy organ run by Lasher and escalates into a funky romp. Salzer's composition, "Escape," has a more diabolical intro and features Lasher sharing lead vocals that produce beautiful harmonies. The far-from-repetitive musical journey continues with one of the most striking compositions on the record - the Lasher-penned, twelve-minute musical escape, "415." The song, a regular face-melter live, sounds delicious on the album and includes beautiful backing vocals by Dani Marcus. Another Salzer composition, "Sequel," has a lighter, breezier feel with plenty of rapturous jams. The mixture of Miller and Bendy's tight rhythm fuels the awesome combination of Lasher and Salzer's instrumental leads. The disc shifts to another musical direction with "Go," which shows the sensitive side of George Miller's writing and his proficiency on drums and vocals. The disc exchanges composers again with Lasher's "Cloud Box" and Salzer's "Different Things" before landing on the full-frontal instrumental "Ernest Funknine."
The I's Mind illustrates the evolution of the group since their debut album, The Unbelievable Meltdown, which the band recorded shortly after their inception. The band's commitment to their music and relentless touring over an ever-growing territory is not only increasing their fan-base, but it is also honing their sound and keeping everyone in the group razor-sharp.
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