Temples
Reviewed by Greg Beets, Fri., May 2, 2014
Temples
Sun Structures (Heavenly)The alluring jangle of a Byrds-like 12-string riff on "Shelter Song" opens the book on this UK psych-pop quartet in promising fashion. Even if stripped of its spot-on incantation of Sixties transistor bliss, the subtle backbeat, strategic hand percussion, and bucolic vocals would keep this sun-speckled earworm from losing its sizzle. The driving, echo-laden title track finds extra lift with a clever, fuzzed-out stutter step that connects the verses to the chorus. The tension then resolves in contrail-forming guitar acrobatics at the bridge against an insistent bassline. If only the whole of Sun Structures was this well-coiffed. Aside from bubblegum B-side doppelgänger "The Guesser," the album's second half gets weighed down with too many overlong songs that wander into the weeds. (Sat., 8:15pm, Reverberation Stage)