New Music Monday: Temp Tats, at RecordBar tonight, debut their album Ions

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In September, during an interview, the members of Temp Tats tried to put their music into words, calling it “prog-soul” and “spastic R&B.” Listening to the foursome’s debut release, Ions, out today, I’d say their descriptions were accurate.

Recorded by Jorge Arana (of the similarly experimental Jorge Arana Trio), Ions plays out like a Ritalin-abusing kid’s hyperactive fusion of sounds. Smooth jazz drumming spirals into keyboard notes that sound soft and build into something riotous. Lead singer Eric Schuman has a tenor that floats above the chords, mostly chill except for the occasional metal-like scream (“Cinnamon Spices”). It makes for a listen that is usually groovy and constantly surprising. 

You can stream the whole album here or download it for yourself on the band’s BandCamp. 

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3929796153/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/
The release show for Ions is tonight at RecordBar — one of the final shows at the venue, which closes for good on January 1. Riala and Via Luna open. Details here. 

See also: 
Introducing the weird and wonderful Temp Tats, whose music doesn’t fit any one box