The tale of Temples’ rise to rock glory is a timeless and oft told one: band uploads four tracks to YouTube, signs with a label before they’ve even played a gig, opens for The Rolling Stones, and then releases their debut.
OK, OK — so Temples took the road less traveled. But even with the aid of major backings from Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher, Temples’ rapid rise looks well earned: their debut, Sun Structures, is the most realized that I’ve come across since the The xx unearthed their self-titled record way back in 2009.
Not unlike their brethren Tame Impala, Foxygen, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Temples is hell-bent on harnessing the psychedelic sounds of the ’60s and ’70s within the confines of today. Throughout the twelve tracks that comprise Sun Structures, the band explores the more up-tempo (and less stoner) side of the vision, resulting in a grin-inducing record that’s also startlingly cohesive. Opener “Shelter Song” sets the tone of Sun Structures well, evoking the feel of some of The Beatles’ best tunes with its chambered harmonies, deep-grooving bass line, and cavernous drums; and the tempo doesn’t alter when the title track chimes in next. In fact, Sun Structures remains consistently charismatic until its close.
Aside from being charming, Temples’ music (both instrumentally and lyrically) has a timeless feel to it. Album highlight “The Guesser” is by far the most timeless sounding song, thanks largely in part to its familiar melody. Whereas most of Sun Structures‘ tracks employ vocal parts merely as more layers of auditory pleasure, “The Guesser” features frontman James Bagshaw’s vocals at the forefront. The result is magnificent.
The rest of Sun Structures isn’t as vocally striking as “The Guesser,” but that seems more than OK with the band. Temples seem more focused on sonic frameworks (on how each musical part blends together) and it shows. Perhaps the most impressive part about Sun Structures is that Temples recorded, mixed, and mastered the record themselves.
From the organ parts to the lush harmonies, every jangle and echo feels organic, and you can bet your bottom dollar the band worked their tails off to make it seem that way. Most tracks, like “A Question Isn’t Answered” and “Mesmerise,” work just as well as sonic canvases as they do actual songs, and in no way is that intended to be a jab.
Sun Structures is a blissful record, one made with painstaking attention and one that’s quite easy to get lost in. Its only drawback is that no song here feels wholly unique — there’s no “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”– or “No Destruction”-styled moment. Sun Structures appears kaleidoscopic, but it’s almost as if we’re seeing the record through the lens of a band that inspired Temples instead of though Temples themselves. Nonetheless, Sun Structures is a debut album — and a very impressive one at that. Temples have plenty of time and records to find their own footing, and Sun Structures establishes a pretty firm ground to build up from.
Sun Structures