Four years after their debut, The Umbrella Sequence's Events is a widespread digi-rock carnival and each song a different ride. Synth-heavy rock ballads, glitchy shuffles, and mellow swirls highlight their neatly-developed second effort. Events is a near split of showing off accomplishment and potential.
On Events, the Minneapolis foursome injects youth into prog-rock, mainly through quick instrumentation and singer Ryan Rupprecht's high-ranging vocals. The album's opening sequence immediately showcases a wide array of abilities. Opener "Urban Lull (At Once Charmed)" is a quilted mix of digital noises in a stutter-stepping rhythm complete with the xylophone treatment. "This Time We're Positive" is a low-pulsing lullabye with a mechanical hum, and "Bus 12" is a fuzzed-out romp with a soft hook. This trio of songs represents the album's diversity well.
The rest of Events is generally more rock-focused but still smooth & engaging. "Et Tu Forte?" is a post-punk rockout, "Life Events And Sinking Ships" is a more serious, modern piano-driven ballad, and "The Need To Make Lists" is a slinking lounge jam. Rupprecht's vocals always blend with the music well, and create the essential, youtful essence of the album.
After such a long period between full-lengths, The Umbrella Sequence has still managed to do their name justice with an complex, inspired collection of modern psych-rock. The array of instruments, both digital and analog, is well-crafted, and each portion of the sound contributes to a slick balance. Well worth the wait.
