With half of the country under water, the rest battered in to submission by relentless winds, it’s pretty hard to imagine sunshine and gentle breezes. But help is at hand. The debut album from Kettering quartet Temples is here and it’s more than capable of transporting you away from the deluge and back to the hazy summers of love that, at the moment, seem so far, far away.
‘Sun Structures’ is homage to the hallucinogenic era of the 60’s. At its most casual you could be on the beach with The Monkee’s whereas at the other end of the spectrum you find yourself deep in mystical debate with Jim Morrison. Temples wear their influences on their sleeve and make no apologies for doing so.
Opening with ‘Shelter Song’ we are immediately enticed into the Temples world. A world of love, poetry and mysticism. James Bagshaw’s voice is a seductive force that weaves its way through kaleidoscopic layers of distortion and fuzz as the album rolls along like a magic bus full of acidheads on their way to Woodstock.
All of the singles are here, the aforementioned, ‘Shelter Song’, ‘Colours To Life’, ‘Keep in the Dark’, along with the latest, and probably best ‘Mesmerise’.
Other stand out tracks are the trippy ‘Move With The Season’ and the quasi-mystical ‘Sand Dance’. The collection ends with the subtle ‘Fragment’s Light’ a gentle track to help you land safely after the trip.
‘Sun Structures’ by Temples is not a ground breaking record. But that’s not a criticism. It’s genre specific and sits very firmly in the psychedelic niche. In that context it is very good. Let’s just hope the niche is not too deep and the band can develop and impress.
Temples are also set to embark on a lengthy tour of Europe, the US and Australia and Japan. You can catch them live in the UK throughout February and March (as part of the NME awards tour). See their website for full details.
The 12-track album, was self-produced by the band’s James Bagshaw and mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer. The album will be available on CD, download and double vinyl.
The album can be pre-ordered via the following link. The first 200 ordered will also be signed by the band: http://heavenlyemporium.greedbag.com/buy/sun-structures/
Temples are:
James Bagshaw – vocals/lead guitar
Thomas Warmsley – bass
Sam Toms – drums
Adam Smith – keyboard/guitar
