Temples
Sun Structures
4/5

From the very beginning, the enigmatic guitar riff that runs through opening track ‘Shelter Song’ immediately encapsulates us in a world of spiralling colours and crazy hair and binds us to Temples’ debut album. Shut your eyes and imagine yourself floating down a narrow market street with the Bengali sun beating down on your neck. It’s easy to get lost in this Kettering four- piece’s first album: on top of the foundations of a psychedelic revival, the mysterious melodies, clever keyboards and captivating vocals are piled high. Album highlight, ‘The Golden Throne’ is exploding with energy and powerful guitar riff, and ‘Mesmerize’ is exciting yet somehow soft and amorous as the gentle voice of James Edward Bagshaw creates a perfect mid-sixties, romantic vibe. As the curtain draws on the album and we reach ‘Test of Time’ things are starting to get a bit repetitive but by now a solid debut has already been delivered. It’s definitely an album that needs to be listened to in its entirety and there are certain tracks that vary it from simply being one long journey of psychedelica. At points, it sways and transforms into a truly good pop/indie album and although the genre overlaps are intriguing they’re never profound. Call it what you want, Temples have delivered an album infused with styles from the past but with a personal 2014 edge.

Joey Colley