Last time they docked locally, Temples played an uneven set at Austin Psych Fest that begged the question of whether the neo-psychedelic rockers might be better prepared for nightclubs rather than festivals. Friday at Zilker Park, the UK quartet made up for its local debut by bathing confidence and skill in an ocean of reverb.
Kicking off with the title track to its LP bow, the Kettering four flipped “Sun Structures” between ethereal jangle and distorted crunch. Middle Eastern tones and Byrds-like vocal harmonies then graced waltz-time rocker “A Question Isn’t Answered.”
Harboring a glam rock jones, the band put thumping grooves on the menu with the rifftastic “Ankh” and T. Rexian “Keep in the Dark.” Despite crowd noise, Temples also successfully pulled off wistful acid folk on the languid “Move With the Season” and B-side “Prisms.”
From there, the build escalated even more. Epics came easily to Temples, punctuating the cosmic “Colours to Life” with crystalline 12-string, mutating the Arabic melody of “Sand Dance” into an apocalyptic guitar solo, and offsetting the chiming midsection of “Mesmerise” with bulging riffage. They climaxed with the acid jangle of “Shelter Song” and left the stage in a hail of reverberating feedback.
Perhaps still best served in a club, where its acid rock can rocket off the walls and envelop all, Temples nevertheless proved they’re an act that has what it takes to win over thousands of festivalgoers in the blazing sun.
This article appears in October 10 • 2014.
