British Export Temples Are Full Of Surprises At Subterranean
By Casey Moffitt in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 1, 2015 4:05PM
photo credit: James Loveday
British export Temples played a pair of shows this past weekend and we consider ourselves fortunate to have caught them Saturday night at Subterranean, rather than in the cold, drizzly evening at Do Division Fest Sunday. Not only did we stay warm, dry and comfortable, we managed to catch a blazing set from this up and coming act.
Their debut album, Sun Structures, gave us just a hint as to what kind of live show we could expect from this band. What we got in the performance far surpassed our anticipation. These songs were played with a greater sense of urgency. The music on the album are dreamy and droning, and that element was still there in the performance, but the band attacked their songs live, giving them a little more muscle.
The rhythm section of Samuel Toms on drums and Thomas Walmsley on bass gave focus. It was the driving force. While the guitars, keyboards and vocals dangling above the motor are important elements to songs, they are there to add more color and character.
It is the melodies, guitars and keyboards that are the focus on Sun Structures, so to hear the rhythm section right up front with the rest of these elements gave us a better understanding of how the music is structured and how much power Temples can generate as a band. It makes us wonder if something went horribly wrong in the post production of Sun Structures, because after seeing Temples perform live, it's going to be difficult to listen to that album again without feeling disappointed.
Temples also produced gorgeous tones all around on stage. It's obvious they take great care and pride in chasing these tones because they don't come easily. Walmsley's bass emitted a wonderfully warm yet punchy sound, while James Bragshaw's guitar buzzed and soared above the pounding rhythm and Adam Smith's beautiful keyboards and complementary guitar licks added a cool layer of haze.
Temples weren't particularly loud—and we guess it's the secret to achieving those tones—but they fill a wide range of frequencies with their instrumentation, making a full sound. It seems like they're making a lot of noise but the volume really isn't at all intense.
The stage was heavily back-lit, which added to that dreamy atmosphere we hear on the album. It obscured the faces of the band members most of the night and visually gave us that air of mystery we hear on the record.
It's nice to be able to catch great tones, build a groovy stage presence and give us a little more out of the music than what we're used to, but when it boils down to brass tax, these kids can play. The music isn't particularly daring or challenging but they nailed it. When the music was airy and breezy, they nailed it. When it was driving and psychedelic, they nailed it. They've mastered these songs to the point where it looks easy for them to deliver everything in their arsenal right now.
A very legitimate criticism of Temples is that they don't really offer anything you haven't heard or seen before. When it looks like you've visited Cream's barber, raided Mick Jagger's wardrobe, borrowed Roger McGuinn's 12-string jangle and channeled John Lennon's pop sensibilities (OK, and Marc Bolan's, too), it's easy to say your act is trying a little too hard to recreate a bygone era. Rock music has made a lot of progress during the past 50 years, so why paint yourself into a half-century-old corner? Is this a good rock band or a novelty act? Right now it can be argued that Temples is blurring that line.
Being a young band, Temples probably can get away with evolving beyond what we've hear on Sun Structures. But hearing the two new tunes performed Saturday night, it doesn't sound like they're about to stray too far from the formula. Can they give us Sun Structures II and still emerge by developing their own voice? Maybe. Can they give us Sun Structures III and pull it off? No.
For now, it's not hard to appreciate what Temples offers as a live band. Given the skills they displayed in their live act, they could have a bright future. Or they could end up like a '60s pop psychedelic version of Stray Cats… or Squirrel Nut Zippers.