One month ago, on September 26, 2016, English psychedelic group Temples released the single Certainty, their first new song since the release of their debut LP Sun Structures in February 2014. From the pounding drums in the intro to the Eastern keyboard riff that follows to the sweeping synth chords in the outro, the track is an unquestionable engaging and enjoyable listen.
As a fan of the group since all they had to their name were an EP and a handful of singles, a new Temples song was something I had been simultaneously excited and nervous about for a long time. Why? Well, of course I was excited, as a longtime fan who spent much of his first two years of high school wearing out the grooves of Sun Structures. My nervousness, on the other hand, stemmed from a different mound; In today’s world of indie music, there are countless bands that utilize elements of the past, especially the 1960s. Which of course, there is nothing wrong with. But, at the same time, bands that are more revival than original rarely break through to a larger demographic of listeners.
And I personally love seeing my favorite groups gain increasing popularity among a more widespread audience. So naturally, I felt (and still feel) this way about Temples. And don’t get me wrong - I love Sun Structures; I think it’s an objectively great record. It’s musically interesting and complex and contains a wide array of emotional and lyrical themes. But that being said, the production (more so than the songwriting itself, for the most part) does owe a solid debt to the 1960s. And once again, that’s not a bad thing. But, I did hope that with their next set of material we would hear Temples following their own artistic impulses rather than borrowing safely from the psychedelic vault. In other words, I hoped their next release would be more Mesmerise than Shelter Song.
Which it was. And that’s why Certainty is not just a great lead single but also a symbol of artistic development. It still is quintessentially Temples, overflowing with soaring melodies, booming drums, and floating vocals that hover somewhere between tenor and falsetto. However, it is also a new and exciting Temples that has me excited for the new album, and not at all nervous that they’ll have held themselves back. On October 13 I had the opportunity to see them live at LA’s Teragram Ballroom, a show at which they played a handful of new tracks, all of which had the same effect on me as the first single.
As of now a release date for the new album has yet to be announced. But although nobody is sure when the album will come out, Temples has, with their new songs, guaranteed it will be great. And that’s a certainty.
-Robbie Arroyo
