The rebirth of psychedelic rock is a recent occurrence, and one of the names atop the momentum is Temples. This UK band has dropped a series of promising singles in the recent past, including the hype-gaining tracks, "Shelter Song", and "Mesmerise". Now, the four-piece proves their total mastery of all psychedelic elements in their debut album, Sun Structures. There's one name that will inevitably be brought up when discussing this album: Tame Impala. Yes, Sun Structures does draw many comparisons to Lonerism, but we must understand that both projects are a part of the psych-rock genre. Don't most albums within a genre usually resemble one another in some way? This resemblance is the reason that genres exist, so it should be recognized that, just because both bands are psychedelic rock bands, it does not mean that Temples stole Tame Impala's sound. Since there is not an abundance of majorly popular psych-rock bands currently, it is easy to criticize Temples; however, the two bands' respective sounds are indeed unique, despite the similar vocals and production. Regardless of whether you think Temples is trying to ride the wave of Tame Impala, there's no denying that Sun Structures is a complete masterpiece from start to finish. A song like "Move With the Season" lures you in and then subtly transitions into a hazy, dream-like sound that may imply visions of poppy flowers, blue skies, and open fields. The band also displays their versatility by speeding up the tempo with the uplifting rhythms of "Test of Time", and then slowing it back down with the haunting fable, "Fragment's Light". Heavy influence from the late 60's and early 70's can be heard in many components of "Sun Structures", a song that takes the bands immense talent and places it on an open pedestal to be heard by all. Temples almost flaunts their psychedelic excellence; they effectively combine a number of intense components to form a unique sound that the listener can become completely engulfed in. Sun Structures isn't merely a listening experience, then; it is felt through your entire being. It dives head-first into a pool of the truth, a place that often contains dark undertones. Give some of our favorites a listen below. Sun Structures will be available on iTunes February 11th, but you can stream it beforehand HERE. Our highlights are below.
Temples