The UK is undergoing a minor psychedelia revival, and it’s largely thanks to the founder of Heavenly Records, Jeff Barrett. Having signed a string of underground darlings – Toy, Hookworms, and The Voyeurs – he finally struck undeniable gold in 2012 when he heard Temples’ “Shelter Song”
Almost accidentally, frontmen James Bagshaw and Thomas Warmsley had a record contract. In suddenly need of a band to help them fulfil it, they recruited two extra members: appropriately named drummer, Sam Toms, and Adam Smith, on keys, rhythm guitar, and 18th century economics
It seems to be impossible for anyone to talk about the best thing to come out of Kettering since, at the very least, Sean Dyche, without comparing them to a band active between about 1965 and 1973. Often, inevitably, it is The Beatles. The Byrds, Pink Floyd and T. Rex are also common comparisons, and reviewers who want to show off will mention The Zombies or Jefferson Airplane
This plagues any band who seem a bit retro. Tame Impala’s artists Kevin Parker has his voice compared to John Lennon whenever someone talks about him, and deciding exactly who Django Django’s second biggest influence is has filled many column inches. It seems more relevant to compare Temples to their contemporaries. They have a British sensibility that you won’t find from Animal Collective or Local Natives, and unlike Tame Impala, they put melody ahead of emotion
The contrast with Django Django is most illuminating. Although the Djangos have a list of influences as long as your arm and an encyclopaedic knowledge of 60 years of music, they sound like a band from ’67 catapulted into the modern day, absorbing a range of contemporary music, and then carrying on as before. Temples, on the other hand, are unmistakably a modern band immersing themselves in 70s music. Their sound betrays the influence of the NME – little wonder, then, that they’ve been endorsed by Noel Gallagher and Johnny Marr
That’s not to say that Temples aren’t a savvy band, because they damn sure are. They know their psychedelia, which is why they can be compared to so many bands without making the commentator look like a prat. One minute there’s a big fuzzy Bolan guitar solo, then a nasally backing vocal, a walking bassline, jangly folk-psych guitar, a tight vocal harmony, a backing violin that doesn’t sound like it has come out of a tin can. Bagshaw and Warmsley have fine ears for melody and a cupful of creativity, and the whole band have an unshakeable stomping sense of rhythm
The lyrics are generally most evocative of Syd Barrett. The imagery is primarily dreamy and childish, but with lots of allusions to the ancient world and to nature. Nowhere is this better illustrated than on "Test Of Time":The flower falls from an elegant tree
And scattering nature's seed
And as the leaves fall after the rain
The soil will always fade
And as the water drips down from the topMost remarkable of all is their production talent. It’s hard to believe this is a self-produced début, and harder still to believe it was principally recorded in a tiny box room. It isn’t Bolan or Bowie, Marr or McCartney who Temples cite as their primary influence, but Visconti and Nitzsche. Instruments drop in and out of the mix with thrilling precision, to best effect on “Keep In The Dark”, which poses as a simple ditty about darkness but crescendos into a psychedelic scene straight out of Carroll. A range of effects are used to distort both guitars and vocals, particularly on “Fragment’s Light”. Unfortunately, this often makes the lyrics incomprehensible to the casual listener, removing any chance of emotional impact
This emotional distance is what stops this album from being unforgettable. The songs are all individually very good pop tunes, but there’s little or no emotional journey. Regardless of genre, music that doesn’t make you feel anything is not going to stick with you, it isn’t going to be something you tell your children about
Sure, there are interesting moments, and there's no doubt that it is engaging – but it is rarely truly euphoric, or desolate, or angry, or even sad. That’s a real shame, because every other element is there, and it is an enjoyable, accessible listen. There’s just nothing truly great, except perhaps “Keep In The Dark”. You’d struggle if asked to hum a tune or recite a lyric this time next year
The fact remains that this is an accomplished début. There is a lot of talent on display, and it is difficult to imagine them not besting this effort in the next three or four years. It’s also tricky to imagine them improving on Sun Structures without making a truly great record. Let’s hope Temples’ astounding career trajectory continues!
- VesuviusCome back tomorrow for album #6, and while you wait be sure to catch up on the list so far!
