Total Heat’s debut EP, Hot For Jazz, is an intense composition of Jazz and Rock that contradicts the convention of each genre to construct a record which sounds both familiar and foreign. Effectively, Hot For Jazz is music that sounds like it’s been created in a vacuum; and due to its masterful mixing and dynamic song progression — it’s amazing.
The EP has a unique structure that can best be thought of like a river. As a river’s mouth narrows from a larger body, so does the opening track, “Golden Light,” feel as though the conventions of Jazz and Rock clash and fuse into a new crazed sound. As the record then continues, the songs become much more focused and structured. My personal sweet spot of structure versus wild noise is in the third track, “Downtown Man” featuring Harmony Tividad. It is arguably the most accessible song on the record which can give the uncertain listener some familiarity and intrigue. But, even then, the song goes off the rails for a narrative that feels more visceral than imagined.
