Taking cues from the dance spazz outs of Gang of Four, the angular rhythms of Fugazi, the loose nervous energy of Wire and enough Sonic Youth inspired warped experimental sounds, to create an album that is equivalent to a jubilant celebration of rock n’ roll in all its viral ecstasy, are San Francisco Bay Area’s Tempo No Tempo, one of the most reinvigorating bands to come out of indie rock scene in recent years.Think a darker and grittier version of dance punk stalwarts Q and Not U, and you might begin to understand the draw of their debut LP ’Waking heat’ as evident on the opening track ‘The Rat (part one)’, with its tightly wound rhythm section of bassist/keyboardist Jason Wexler and drummer Alex Kaiser designed to instantly grab your attention.
The following two tracks in the record however, share more than a striking similarity with each other, with ‘Pole Position’ ending up sounding like a watered down version of the much stronger and vibrant ‘Kilometer’. Adrenaline charged, the latter is perhaps the best illustration of the band's restlessness, a song that will almost certainly instill in listeners the manic tendency to ecstatically jump up and down and pump their fists. Feisty and vivacious vocals from guitarist and front man Tyler McCauley render this track, a rollicking single with an undeniable grooving catchy chorus.
With that out of the way, the floodgates open on a series of rapturous tracks, each song emphatically exploring innovative ideas as the album ultimately takes on a life of its own. Be it the insistency of ’Lay Your Magnets Down’ a number teetering on screamo territory, or the omnipresent dub bass line of ‘Get Down, Stay Down’ one that would do Jah Wobble proud, it serves as an enjoyable lead in to the stand out tracks of this record.
‘Kindercare’ merges arresting atmospheric drama with their signature post punk antics to create a song that wouldn’t seem out of place on a post rock album had it not been for some brilliant vocal work and a melody guaranteed to stick in your head for days.
The sum of its musical elements, ‘Medicines’ combines the best traits in the bands arsenal to give a top notch song filled with sharp and jagged guitars, coupled with a bouncy, effervescent rhythm section featuring fluid reggae bass lines and polyrhythmic rolling beats. Emotive vocals together with electrified bursts of melodic frenzy help make this a dark and noisier take on dance punk, but still retaining a noticeable drive and melody.
Although more traditional affairs like ‘Line Drawing’ and ‘Get Young’ don’t showcase a substantial range or add to the overall effectiveness of the record, they, at the very least add a required urgency to the stalled post punk genre. Closing the album with a delicate guitar line and harmony, the ‘Band of Horses’-esque ballad ‘Half Asleep’ is a more subdued effort and in major contrast to the rest of the album which stood for youthful exuberance, the likes of which rock n’ roll should sorely lacks.
Their willingness to explore new sounds and styles make while maintaining a trademark “joie de vivre”, make them a sight much more interesting than the other musicians of the day, priming them to be the rock n' roll outfit to carry the torch of modern dance rock into the next decade. This is truly indie rock with a passion.
