Certain Limitations

Here We Go Magicを率いていたLuke Templeによる新たなプロジェクト。彼の特徴であるオフキルターなグルーヴとメロディーを新たなバンドサウンドへ持ち込んだ。 Dire StraitsやThe Velvet Undergroundから影響を受けたサウンドは複雑なギター・ワークと推進力のあるリズム・セクションを織り交ぜながら、ECMのカタログを思い起こさせるジャズ・センスを感じさせる仕上がり。

Since his critically lauded cosmic pop/rock group Here We Go Magic folded in the mid-2010s, Luke Temple has alternated between idiosyncratic albums of spare indie folk, psychedelic pop, chillwave, grooving improvisational rock, and combinations thereof, both under his own name and under the alter ego Art Feynman. With Certain Limitations, Temple debuts a trio moniker for his sessions with fellow multi-instrumentalists Kosta Galanopolous (aka PWNT) and Doug Stuart, who clicked when Temple enlisted them for a live show. While citing influences including Dire Straits, the Velvet Underground, and jazz label ECM for the album, Luke Temple & the Cascading Moms land closest to "grooving improvisational rock" here, if with plenty of quirkiness and psychedelic and jazz tendencies in play. The album begins with the spaced-out, somnambulant "Certain Limitations," which meanders its way through lyrics like "Certain limitations/So much better for your mind" and "I keep my eyes on the end of my rope" before ending in a jam featuring a trippy organ solo. Loaded with similarly philosophical musings, the album picks up the tempo on the brisk yet super mellow "I Will Not Kill," a Dire Straits-evoking tune thats one of a handful of songs here to feature subtle, sunshine pop-like backing vocals. Elsewhere, the funkier "Second Half" seems to combine Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd folk, with the second half of the song consisting of a noodly jam, and bass guitar takes the spotlight on "Its All About Timing," another song that seems to wink at listeners with its musically self-referential as well as figurative title. Theres also a cover of Art Feynmans solo-recorded "I Can Dream." Although Certain Limitations may not be among Temples more memorable output, it does make for an immersive 35 minutes that deliver plenty of his habit-forming falsetto vocals, off-kilter rhythms, and knack for unorthodox catchiness. Fans of any of the aforementioned bands who are as yet unfamiliar with Temple may want to start here but be primed for a Luke Temple deep dive. ~ Marcy Donelson