Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Charles Irwin first trotted out a new lineup about a year ago, and this weekend the Tampa outfit completes its metamorphosis into an entirely different band.

Charlie’s new record, Precious Metal, is where the trio’s new sound—at its peak, more angular, and second-generation midwestern emo a la Cap’n Jazz—gets to shine for 28 minutes as the 10 tracks fly by, begging for another listen. It’s one of the best releases of this relatively young new year, and Charlie will have friends in Tampa art-pop band Mtvh1n1, Orlando grunge outfit Flowers For Emily, and St. Pete king of analog dancefloor-ready EBM Ortrotasce to help bring it into the world.

Tickets to the Charlie album release show at Tampa’s American Legion Seminole Post 111 on Friday, March 17 are $10 at the door.

This article appears in Mar 16-22, 2023.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...