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Formed in 2008 around music already written by bandleader Michael Fitzpatrick, Fitz & the Tantrums came together within a week, just in time to play their first show. The chemistry was perfect, and the group’s brand of rhythm and blues with a shiny modern radio style was cemented. While there’s an undeniable revivalist spirit in its soul-on-wax sound, the Los Angeles sextet incorporates a personal take on what Motown made famous: Fitzpatrick’s voice stands out with an almost ’80s-pop twist, but it’s pulled back to its roots by a pristine rhythm section, plus horns, organs and the complementary backing of Noelle Scaggs’s vocals. Having shared the stage with the likes of Maroon 5, Hepcat and Flogging Molly, Fitz & the Tantrums are a band with mass appeal, one that will no doubt follow the path of soul’s rebirth set by contemporaries Raphael Saadiq, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Adele.
