There was a time when a recommendation from Noel Gallagher or Johnny Marr carried a bit of weight, but somehow their statement about Temples being the best band in Britain sets off some alarm bells. After all, both have shown some poor musical judgement in the past. But it turns out that they actually might be right: Temples is really, really good.
Sun Structures is an incredibly strong debut. Admittedly, it revisits the quartet of singles that the Kettering band has released over the past year or so (including sparkling opener "Shelter Song"), but it would be a shame to skip some of their best songs because of that. While they can definitely be grouped with the other psychedelic bands of the moment — think a janglier version of Tame Impala with a touch of mysticism thrown in for good measure — they write catchy songs too. They veer away from the obviousness of "Tomorrow Never Knows" and head into Byrds and T-Rex territory instead, and it's that poppier sensibility that makes for such a satisfying listen. Best of all, it really does sound like it could have come out during the '60s and nobody would have blinked.
There's an awful lot to like here, and hardly a weak moment to be found. Hopefully this won't get overlooked in "Best of 2014" lists considering the early release, because Sun Structures is a simply wonderful record.
(Fat Possum)Sun Structures is an incredibly strong debut. Admittedly, it revisits the quartet of singles that the Kettering band has released over the past year or so (including sparkling opener "Shelter Song"), but it would be a shame to skip some of their best songs because of that. While they can definitely be grouped with the other psychedelic bands of the moment — think a janglier version of Tame Impala with a touch of mysticism thrown in for good measure — they write catchy songs too. They veer away from the obviousness of "Tomorrow Never Knows" and head into Byrds and T-Rex territory instead, and it's that poppier sensibility that makes for such a satisfying listen. Best of all, it really does sound like it could have come out during the '60s and nobody would have blinked.
There's an awful lot to like here, and hardly a weak moment to be found. Hopefully this won't get overlooked in "Best of 2014" lists considering the early release, because Sun Structures is a simply wonderful record.