As Umphrey’s McGee rang in 2018 at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium, they strategically chose “The Silent Type” to kick off the year. Opening UM’s latest record, it’s not us, the tune is one of several tracks the band recently debuted, intending to stoke excitement for this studio LP, their 11th and first since 2016’s ZONKEY. With an industrial bassline and snapping snare drums, “The Silent Type” is sharp and incisive. When the chorus hits, Brendan Bayliss growls, “Everybody starts with the same motivation/ A little bit of love, a little less conversation.” And, truly, it’s not us speaks for itself. Instead of focusing on singularity, the set showcases the band’s range. Throughout the record, Bayliss, his fellow guitarist Jake Cinninger, keyboardist Joel Cummins, bassist Ryan Stasik, drummer Kris Myers and percussionist Andy Farag shift styles and genres with ease. Listening to the entire 11-track release, you can hear how many sides there are to Umphrey’s McGee. “Remind Me,” for example, unravels a guitar groove into chaos. And they follow those dissonant noises with a heavy-metal section, full of doublekick bass drums and razor-sharp guitar solos that would make any metalhead proud. Then, the shredding sounds of “Remind Me” give way to the tender, acoustic, guitar-and-piano ballad “You & You Alone,” which leads into the synthy, anthemic “Forks.” By experimenting with genre juxtaposition on it’s not us, Umphrey’s McGee push their boundaries and challenge expectations. (Granted, they do channel their prog-rock expertise on tracks like “Maybe Someday.”) In their 20th year as a band, the sextet adds a new batch of originals into their live show, and yet another dimension to their style.