Arriving with the Noel Gallagher seal of approval - equal parts help and hindrance, if we’re being honest - Temples’ debut album, ‘Sun Structures’ is frequently evocative and diverting, without ever really going anywhere.
Taking hazy cues from ‘60s psych-rock, with a couple of twists of glam thrown in for good measure, ‘Sun Structures’ is actually very conservative given its place in a musical genre that prides itself on straying from the beaten path into bottomless pits and expansive soundscapes. What it does possess, though, is a truckload of superb melodies.
Temples are at their best when allowing their songwriting chops to cut through the retro atmospherics, with frontman James Bagshaw possessing a warm, familiar vocal style that adds as much to the band’s sound as his mop of hair does to their arresting appearance.
Shelter Song, the title track, Colours To Life and the superb, exotic Golden Throne all benefit from infectious choruses, while even the derivative single Keep In The Dark is rescued from the scrapheap by a wistful central melody and some Bolan swagger.
Not a note is out of place throughout the running time and it’s quite apparent that Temples are meticulous in their attention to detail. Too often, though, the pop is set aside for something more ‘authentic’, resulting in the plodding Move With The Season and dirge-like late album tracks Test Of Time and Sand Dance.
Temples have two sides to their particular coin, but when one overshadows the other the results are mixed. ‘Sun Structures’ is a fine pop record at times, and a testing experimental one at others.
Mon February 24 2014 - GLASGOW Oran Mor
Mon March 03 2014 - OXFORD O2 Academy2 Oxford
Tue March 04 2014 - BIRMINGHAM Library, The Institute
Thu March 06 2014 - CARDIFF The Globe
Fri March 07 2014 - BOURNEMOUTH Old Fire Station Bournemouth
Sat March 08 2014 - LONDON O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
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