Psychic Temple ‘III’ completes the transition from avant-jazz solo
project to a working band
constructed around timeless songs that draw upon the rich history of classic
American soul,
blues, and folk.
Maintaining Psychic Temple's affinity for nuance and delicate minimalism,
‘III’ exhibits a new
directness centered around Chris Schlarb's agile guiding voice. While the album
places his
unfolding vocal melodies and narratives in the foreground, ‘III’ subverts
easy categorization
by sustaining the collaborative, exploratory spirit of ‘Psychic Temple’
and ‘II’.
Culled from sessions recorded at home in Los Angeles and the legendary FAME
Studios in
Muscle Shoals, Alabama – ‘III’ includes contributions and performances
from Spooner
Oldham (Neil Young, Bob Dylan), David Hood (J.J. Cale, Aretha Franklin), Mike
Watt
(Minutemen, The Stooges), Avi Buffalo, Nedelle Torrisi (Sufjan Stevens), Elliot
Bergman
(Wild Belle, NOMO), Dave Easley (Brian Blade Fellowship) and many more. The
album was
mixed over three days with Ronan Chris Murphy (King Crimson).