Denver-based instrumental quartet Space Orphan will release their debut album Shut Up About The Sun on Friday. The group describes its sound as “progressive old school,” referencing such artists as The Meters and James Brown. Space Orphan often adds a horn section as well, drawing comparisons to Lettuce and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe.

 The lineup features keyboardist Jon Wirtz and drummer Eric Imbrosciano, along with guitarist Taylor Scott and bassist Todd Edmunds, both of whom have appeared in the Otis Taylor Band. Wirtz, who is Space Orphan’s primary songwriter, tells Relix, “The tunes themselves were sort of a balancing act, an attempt to have something that was right in these guys’ wheelhouse, where they could knock it out of the park. At the same time, I wanted to have enough in there to challenge them (and myself) and take us all a little bit out of our comfort zone. Thankfully everyone more than rose to the occasion and turned out a record we’re all extremely proud of.”

He adds that the recording process “was challenging in the best way possible. We’d record a few takes of every tune and rather than stressing whether we had something usable or not, it was more a matter of, ‘Wow, this all sounds great! I’m not sure which take we should use’ because whatever we chose, we felt like we were leaving out something great from a different take.”

Today we offer the premiere stream of Shut Up About The Sun. Space Orphan will celebrate their album release on Friday night at Cervantes’ Other Side with Juno What?!