At A time when standalone singles are king, Temples’ new drop is deliciously complex as well as cohesive. The third album from the Kettering-formed trio dabbles with darker themes driven by primal instincts. Title track Hot Motion sets the tone in a song about “the tensions of desire, dreams and nightmares”.
Punchy, quick-beat indie-rock is balanced with dreamy Sixties-esque psychedelia. Best heard on You’re Either On Something, it’s a tune that perfectly captures the intoxicated fog before calling it a night: “I glugged a swing from the green bottle / And placed my thumb upon the top.”
Dotted with cult-worthy choruses, The Howl demands foot-stomping in unison: “Rising up to higher ground / Steal your thunder / Feel the howl,” while Context cleverly works as a narcissist’s anthem: “I am the one / I am the flood / I am the water to your blood.”
Rich in nostalgic references, there’s certainly a nod to Sixties experimentation in their sound. Moments that compare to Pink Floyd come in full circle to contemporary counterparts like Tame Impala. The result is a catchy-as-hell blend of their own rhapsodic psychedelia.
We’ll drink their trippy musical smoothie any day.
