Imagine a fusion-jazz act adding both refined precision and psychedelic overlays to early-70s prog. Imagine that this band hails from Bremen. And then imagine it entering your ears.

Rubber Tea From a Fading World (self-released)

Rubber Tea flies everywhere, but it is always in motion. The kinetic nature of these pieces brings to mind one facet of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, but the interplay between the music and vocals is straight outta Yes. All in all, Rubber Tea doesn't fully fit into any of the many worlds it inhabits.

Which is, of course, its most attractive feature. This is music for music's sake, and not everyone is down with that sort of thing. But rather than spinning off into wild experimental tangents, Rubber Tea drills down on its composition skills and tightens the focus ever stronger. Yeah, there are more than a few art rock moments, but they're framed fully in the band's prog structures.

Not everyone's cuppa, and that's all to the better. This album journeys to far corners of the mind, and it does so with a breathless ease. The feel is whatever the opposite of ponderous might be. I'll be riding these burbles for a long time to come.

Jon Worley