With Sun Structures, English psychedelic rock quartet Temples have crafted a long-player which, while informed by panoramic late 60s albums Odessey and Oracle by The Zombies and Days of Future Passed by The Moody Blues, as well as the poetic texts of Marc Bolan, sits comfortably alongside the new generation of bedroom psychedelia best represented by the likes of Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
Making use of a relatively standard rock band configuration, key amongst Temples accomplishments is cracking the essential recorded drum sounds and vocal sounds so prized by their heroes and peers. Singer/guitarist James Edward Bagshaw's tone and content sounds so surreal and high you half expect to walk into the room and find him bouncing against the ceiling like a helium balloon.
Similarly, Sam Toms drums have that expansive rolling feel, which aptly supported by Thomas Edison Warmsley's bass fingering, establishes a perfect backdrop for Bagshaw's expressive lead guitar lines, and Adam Smith's considered keyboard/guitar support.
While Sun Structures holds a strong tone for the first two thirds, on 'A Question Isn't Answered' Bagshaw's lyricism devolves from evocative to trite, pulling the record from great to good. Irritations aside, there is a lot to like here.
