Temples have received a significant amount of attention in the past
year, with the group’s debut album Sun Structures one of the most hotly
anticipated albums of 2014 thus far. Cited by the likes of Johnny Marr
and Noel Gallagher as one of the best new bands in the UK, the group
have had a blessed existence since their inception in 2012.
Temples’ appeal to a Kasabian or Suede crowd is evident from the
first breath of Sun Structures, and its single track predecessors. The
group pedal a kind of suffused, dazed, psychedelic rock, awash with
vintage instruments and equipment to create a retro, trippy sound. The
collective effect is fairly authentic – the timbres that the band employ
feel palpably physical and analogue, especially when combined with
their musical techniques. Hints of Beat and Mod mix with Eastern
influences, almost like Temples themselves were mentored by the
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the banks of the Ganges, enrobed in sunlight
with the scent of patchouli on the air. All this is finished
heavy-handedly with far too much reverb and fuzz, almost but not quite
disguising the crisp and seamless modern day production.
With Sun Structures, Temples exhibit plenty of musical proficiency
and clarity of intent, but this album is heavy with retro references and
therefore utterly struggles to be in anyway innovative or interesting.
Sure, there are plenty of catchy and even charismatic tracks – Mesmerise is
particularly enjoyable, with its relentless melody line and solid vocal
performance. There are plenty of interesting synth timbres too, pushing
catchier hooks and more personality than the guitars ever manage.
Nevertheless, the bottom line is that this album is ultimately rather
uninspired.
Arguably Tame Impala and The Coral did the whole accessible psych
thing far better, with a far more dynamic vision and scope. While
Temples here sound like a band that could have been lost and unearthed
from 1969, Tame Impala create true neo-psych, with their intoxicating
bass lines being particularly notable. The Coral too, while more
obviously retro were still incredibly dynamic in their range, with no
two song sounding alike on their debut.
Taking Sun Structures fully into account, Temples are clearly a band
who have been talked up too much, which is certainly not their fault. If
you are seeking out Sun Structures purely on the basis of hype
surrounding Temples then look elsewhere.
See this at MTTM at: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/temples-sun-structures/
