Lead With Kindness: A Quick Review Of The New Album From Tiers La Familia (Sunwatchers, Modern Nature)

Queens, New York outfit Tiers La Familia make music that breaks genre labels in half. The tunes from this group consistenly span realms of free jazz, synth-pop, and post-punk, while landing in their own unique space. The Love Synthesis, the new Tiers La Familia record, might be their best yet too.

Opener "Lead with Kindness" pops and percolates. A neat mix of Os Mutantes, Stereolab, and Aphex Twin, the cut buzzes with promise. "Ibiza Sneeze (Queens Style)" recalls Luscious Jackson a bit, and the track is built around a suple, wildly rhythmic hook. Elsewhere, "Stop Right There" is a catchy, near-anthem.

Tiers La Familia make music that really doesn't neatly fit into any one category. And thank God for that! The tunes on The Love Synthesis are wildly inventive and fans of acts like The Beta Band should find this right up their alley. Of course, none of this sounds like Sunwatchers or Modern Nature, two other bands Jeff Tobias is in, but that's okay too because this record is a lot of fun on its own terms. When he joins with his bandmates Sefyu Sidney and Cheryl Kingan (75 Dollar Bill, The Scene Is Now) a little magic is unleashed. Tiers La Familia are that very rare sort of group who take risks and push boundaries while having fun doing it. That makes The Love Synthesis a super-listenable record.

The Love Synthesis by Tiers La Familia will be out January 16. Details below.

[Photo: Tiers La Familia Bandcamp]