Temples – ‘Exotico’ album review
Formed in Kettering in 2012, British rockers Temples were discovered via the power of YouTube after Heavenly Recordings founder Jeff Barrett stumbled upon the band’s demos. Their first single, the inescapably catchy sun-drenched ‘Shelter Song’, was released in 2012, before they’d even performed live.
Fast forward a decade, and the band are now releasing their fourth record, Exotico, which follows their 2019 effort, Hot Motion. For this album, Temples worked with Sean Ono Lennon as producer, who they connected with at Desert Daze Festival. Developing the band’s dreamy psych-rock sound, Exotico is a paradoxical record – one that feels contained in a specific location and atmosphere while also drawing from a vast genre pool that appears to transcend the past and present.
Temples have crafted a world entirely their own, taking significant influences from each decade, ranging from 1960s garage rock and psychedelia to 1970s Italian horror soundtracks and 1980s synth-pop. Bassist Thomas Walmsley explains, “There are so many different influences across the songs, which goes back to having free rein in the studio and being as spontaneous as we could be.”
However, the result is an album that moves between incredibly solid slices of contemporary psychedelia and tepid indie-rock cuts drawn out over sixteen songs. Exotico is a bold effort, with the band’s ambitious approach certainly paying off at times, yet it would be a much stronger record had it been reduced to a tracklisting of ten or twelve songs.
Instead, Temples fall into monotonous territory as they retreat into a comfortable sing-along structure that recalls the kind of tracks that overpopulated the mid-2010s British indie scene and are better off forgotten. Examples include ‘Gamma Rays’, ‘Cicada’ and ‘Oval Stones’. Although these tracks aren’t necessarily bad, for example, ‘Cicada’ bears rich Eastern influence while also employing intriguing American western-themed guitars, they tire quickly.
Regardless, Temples have mastered a talent for creating music that evokes sunshine, with many of the songs sure to find a place on festival stages this summer. Exotico often strides into indie anthem territory, although Temples really shine when they channel heavier, broader influences. The album opener, ‘Liquid Air’, an almost six-minute cut, is a meaty slice of psych that is easily one of Exotico‘s most vital moments. Moreover, ‘Giallo’ takes inspiration from the soundtracks of its namesake, with its synths echoing the music of Dario Argento movies.
Continuing this theme, ‘Meet Your Maker’ is an overwhelmingly powerful mix of raw guitars and ’80s synths, with Bagshaw’s voice following the melodic patterns of the instrumentation. Similarly, ‘Crystal Hall’ demonstrates Temples’ skill for high-octane psychedelia, blending effortlessly into the reverberating ‘Head in the Clouds’.
Ending the album is the paradisiacal instrumental piece, ‘Movements of Time’, which sounds like part of a score from a ’60s European movie. By evoking imagery of a dreamy, exotic beach, the track concludes the record on a hopeful note, tying together Exotico‘s lyrical themes of the human connection to nature and the universe.
Exotico highlights Temples’ unarguable skills as musicians, with their potent range of influences informing every element of the record, becoming an amalgamation of genres and eras wrapped up in a distinctively Temples-esque bow. Unfortunately, the band allow their minds to wander a little too freely, resulting in a drawn-out and often repetitive selection of songs.
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