Monuments, Ume’s newest album, came out March 4, and it’s a real treat. Ume is from Texas, but the band is bringing the tunes of this heavy-hitting album to Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, N.C. on June 27.
Grammy award-winner Adam Kasper, who had a part in producing albums for major bands such as Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, produced the album. Ume is a three-piece band comprised of front-woman Lauren Larson, bassist Eric Larson and drummer Rachel Fuhrer.
Monuments is definitely a rock album, but is made unique with indie sounds resembling that of the groovy-rock ‘70s. Lauren Larson’s raspy but sweet-sounding voice, coupled with the heavy sounds of the instruments, is truly a match made in heaven.
This album is a great listen, and takes audiences on a journey through fun, heavy girl power songs to slower, more melodic songs that really show off Ume’s talent for making music.
The first song of the album, “Black Stone,” is a real standout. It grabs listeners and lures them in to keep listening. The head-banging melody hits listeners in the face hard, but in a way that doesn’t hurt. It’s a song that would be awesome to hear live because it’s full of energy and attitude.
After “Black Stone” come a couple of high-energy, intricate-sounding songs. In the music industry today, too many high-energy songs are only good because they are high-energy. But on this album, those high-energy songs are so much more. The melody and tempo change often so the listener cannot quite guess the next note, which is a great musical trait. If a listener can sing along to the song during the first listen, then there is a problem.
Another enjoyable aspect of the album is how full it sounds. Despite being a three-piece band, Ume sounds more like a five- or six-piece band. That being said, it doesn’t sound over-produced and duplicated, which is a nice breath of fresh air for listeners.
After those high-energy songs, “Too Big World” takes the listener down a notch. This song shows off the band’s talent for creating whimsical melodies and heartfelt lyrics. My favorite lyric from this song is “If you are lost, I’m lost,” which sounds simple but turns out to be rather powerful. “Too Big World” and “Chase it Down” each have significant instrumental parts. Bands have gotten away from putting an instrumental break in between lyrics, and I really like how Ume uses the instrumental breaks in these two songs.
“Until the End” is also a standout song. It provides a nice, groovy addition that makes the album all the more upbeat. I really enjoyed how the band coupled long, melodic notes on the guitar with more punk-sounding staccato notes from the drummer and bassist. Then when Lauren’s voice adorns the track, it adds a perfect touch to an already wonderful song.
“Barophobia” is another favorite of mine. It is the only acoustic song on the album and really complements the rest of the album. Every album needs that one acoustic song to enjoy, and Monuments provides just that.
It seems as though the album gets progressively less heavy as it goes on, except for “Barricade,” which resembles the first few tracks’ power. The album takes listeners on a nice journey and is a more-than-enjoyable listen.
I am sure that this band would be fun to see live; it has great songs, a great attitude and great energy. Not to mention that it sounds different than most up-and-coming bands. I highly recommend this album to anyone who enjoys good music.
