The backstory of iTMRW, the latest opus from Los Angeles art-pop trio Arc Iris, will bring you right back to one of humanity’s biggest chapters of uncertainty. It was 2020, and the group had created a sci-fi ballet: ambitious music, video and dance. But COVID-19 shut down the production and the project was shelved—until now. Arc Iris has breathed new life into iTMRW, now their fifth album; a playful, theatrical, strange collection that certainly stand on its own, no ballet necessary.

These 14 tracks were created by Arc Iris’ multi-instrumentalists Jocie Adams, Zach Tenorio and Ray Belli as answers to their own self-imposed prompt: “Write songs for the year 2080.” And the music does have a future-gazing feel, in the campiest sense—synthesizers blip and bleep, bass and percussion are distorted to the robotic realm. But, critically, iTMRW doesn’t get caught up in its concept.

The album is packed with quirky-catchy hooks and captivating, creative arrangements. Take “Jenny,” one of nine songs featuring vocals from WILLOW, Tenorio’s recent close collaborator—halfway through, the track transforms from an elastic, future-funk jam into a chamber-pop ballad with a string ensemble. And, somehow, it works. With “It’s Not a Little It’s a Lot,” Adams’ voice pairs with WILLOW’s to hit thick, neo-soul harmonies in between verses, imagining cash used for something good: “Take the money, turn it clean. Build a forest, build a sea.” “A Click and A Twitch” deftly weaves hip-hop, jazz and near-Vaudeville theatrics into a sound that’s altogether new. Six years after it was meant to debut, iTMRW still sounds ahead of its time—melting down genres and styles into something weirdly wonderful. Let’s hope 2080 is half as fun.