Telepathic Liberation Army's Phase One is suggestive of new beginnings not only by its title, but by its fever, ferocity and singularly avant purity. Often times, before anyone gets to talking about the music itself, the first thing that gets written about TLA in order to contextualize them is the fact that they’re a band made up of women, ¾ of whom are queer, and some of whom were former members of Shoplifting and Chromatics. Contextualization is important, but is often times obscuring, even when the labels used to describe a band (art pop, or all-girl queer post-punk, or avant-damaged double queer triple pop pop angular art rock) are, by their nature, descriptive of musicmaking that is free of boundaries, creative, dynamic, envelope-pushing. Phase One, as an album full of the spirit of genesis (as in creation, not as in Peter Gabriel), prompts listening with a new ear; an open ear tired of surface engagement that’s ready to viscerally connect.

During the two years since their inception, the Seattle-based band has shared stages with Team Dresch, Erase Errata, Vivian Girls, Avi Buffalo, Abe Vigoda and countless others, to enthusiastic acclaim. As on record, the band is transfixing live—incredibly sharp edges dance, wire-like, around a thick rhythmic foundation that’s buoyed with spindly riffage. Brightness is made more tart as it is foiled by TLA’s dark darkness—the echoed vocals, the appearance and dissolving of dub beats, the dirty seriousness frontwoman Lisa Orth throws down like a gauntlet. Stage riser is too tall? Everyone plays on the club floor. Crowd feels distant? The band will walk down and play right on top of them to draw them in, wake them up and make them feel. All four women operate as one, intuiting each others’ next move; knowing what dynamic to set. And they have a hell of a lot of fun doing it.

Whether investigating psyched-out, Ono-like manifesto trails or freaking out on precision Au Pairs-style, TLA forges a musical trail that is rich with passion, excitement and energy. You can’t not move to it if you’re listening with that open ear; you can’t not tense up and need release.

TLA will be touring in support of Phase One throughout 2010.