Temples is the kind of band that sounds like they time traveled to the present with their Marshall amps already glowing, dressed in their best desert attire.
The band formed in Kettering, England around 2012, orbiting around the partnership of James Bagshaw and Tom Walmsley, two friends who started out recording scrappy demos at home, chasing the ghost of late-’60s psychedelia. What sets them apart isn't just the obvious love of T. Rex or Pink Floyd, it's how authentic they sound. There's no retro cosplay. It's more like they've cracked open a parallel universe where the sound never stopped evolving.
Temples has been releasing albums for over a decade now, and BLISS marks album number five. This album might be the strongest the band has ever sounded.
The psychedelic rock vibes that Temples has established as part of their sound are still present, but they're mixed with electronic elements that elevate several of the tracks on the album to an epic level.
Right off the bat, we have the strongest song on the record: "Jet Stream Heart." This song is probably one of my favorite releases of the year. It's a powerhouse of a track, with a synth (or guitar?) line that I can't easily describe, but is so captivating. It brings to mind Middle Eastern timbres. Imagine that you're in the desert riding a camel, but the camel is neon and the desert is a more colorful version of Dune, then maybe you end up at the dance club and Daft Punk is there collaborating with Tame Impala circa 2012.
Sadly, "Jet Stream Heart" is hard to follow, and the rest of the tracks on the album don't hit with growing intensity. However, there are some that come close.
"Vendetta" is dance rock goodness that will likely appeal to fans of the aforementioned Daft Punk, or possibly even Muse. "Jaguar" reminded me of "Desert Rose" by Sting, in a good way.
Runner-up for second best on the album is "Blue Flame." What starts almost melancholic brings in a beat so heavy it rivals "When the Levee Breaks." Synth drops abound and a lighter lifting chorus takes shape. There are also classic Tame Impala vibes with this one (not whatever Kevin Parker's been up to lately).
Though the other songs don't hit as hard, there really isn't a bad track on BLISS. All of the songs have some earworm element to them. It's unfortunate that Temples starts the album with the strongest track, but if your mind isn't fully blown by "Jet Stream Heart," tracks like "Glimmer" and "Megalith" hit pretty hard too. Honestly, the desert vibes are very strong all over this record. It could play as Tusken Raider theme music if Temples can figure out a partnership with Lucasfilm!
By the time the final notes on "Fantasy Realm" come to an end and BLISS has wrapped, I concluded that this is a trip worth taking. It's fun, it's dance-worthy and it rocks in all the right places. And hey, any record that makes me imagine partying with Star Wars characters is okay with me!
Even if I'm the only one who thinks it ...