Temples released their debut album in 2014 and it was so good that I found it unlistenable. There are some cracking tracks on that album; Shelter Songis a glorious Summer wooze, Mesmerise has a riff so sharp you can carve your Sunday roast with it, Colours to Lifeis a forever cascading chorus crashing around my head. The list of superlatives goes on, yet I never bought the album nor listened to it further than two or three full play throughs. There was something missing to my ears. The album was a brilliant collection of songs, but a collection none the less. Something didn't bring those songs together to create a full body of work I wanted to listen through again and again, something I wanted to own and dedicate an evening to. It's odd but the fact that every song on the album could have been the lead single made it seem like a bit of a disjointed mess.
Certainty has been chosen to be the lead single for Temples' upcoming LP, Volcano and it doesn't disappoint. There's been a musical shift and it is inevitably going to bring comparisons toTame Impala, comparisons which I am not going to dwell on here because although they are justified, the move from rock to pop is not a rare one nor a sellout and Temples have done it their own way, no need to bring Tame Impala into things. It starts with a killer, if slightly corny, deep synth (bass?) riff before moving into a glowing realm of squelching synths and almost candy pop style vocals and instrumentation. Just wait for the chorus. It's a bombardment of high-pitched vocals, high-pitched synths, clunking drums - I love it! It's a great teaser for the album and I for one am looking forward to some psychedelic pop. I just hope that this album is not quite as good as the last... Temples Certainty Heavenly Certainty will be featured on the album, Volcano, available as a CD or Vinyl LP: 03/03/2017 at Heavenly
- Hey dude. - Oh hey, thanks for checking out the blog, needs all the help it can get these days. - Ye sure. You know that the singleElafonissi Bluewas released on GUM'salbum Glamorous Damage, in like, November of last year! - Um, ye I did, ye. - But, I'm pretty sure that this whole "Irregular Rift" thing... - It's The Irregular Riff actually... - I'm pretty sure you said it's only to look at upcoming releases? - I might have said... - Ye, here it is, "All the releases must be not available at the time of writing". - Oh lord, you've gone back to the archives. - Dude, you've got like 3 blog posts, just scroll down and read it! - Ye, so I can see how this might look like I'm breaking my own rules, but actually GUM and the super cool label he's on,Spinning Top Music, released a music video for Elafonissi Blue only recently on the 28th of June. Check it out, it's pretty funky:
- But that's still in the past you idiot! Not upcoming in the slightest. Why you calling GUM a "he" anyway? - GUM's the name forJay Watson'ssolo project. He's a regular member with the awesome, mental psych band POND and he's a live member with Tame Impala. He's a pretty cool dude I think. I've seen him live with Tame Impala and Pond and he can rip it up on guitar or bust some sweet keyboard grooves and I'm pretty sure I saw a video of him wacking a drum, so a solo project makes sense. - Oooh, get you being all relevant and seeing Tame Impala live! GUM's a stupid name. Does he just blow raspberries and put it onto vinyl or something. What a joke. - Actually there's a lot going on with Elafonissi Blue. There are huge '80s vibes - I'm talkingPet Shop Boys,Prince and that sort of disco-funk from the likes ofCameo. - Oh God, is this some sort of gay propaganda? - I'm going to ignore that. There's also hints of Dam Funk, Boards of Canada, Collegeand lo-fi synth rock. It's got a banging chorus and it's just funky man, with some sweet swooshing synths and a driving bass line - it reminds me a bit of the College soundtrack to the film Drivebut with a bit more mental fun attached. - So it's a good song which came out ages ago. Why do you not write about Yellow Submarine then? Ey? This blog has gone to the dogs already. Is it even getting a physical release? I thought that was one of the blog criteria too? - Well, it's already out on the excellent Glamorous Damage LP... - From November last year? Did you create your silly little "word-art" thing and then realise it was already out? You did didn't you. - No, I just thought that with the recent release of the music video I could share this really good... - That's it isn't it! You know nobody actually cares about those word things anyway? They think it's weird. - Well, I... - You're a joke mate. - Cheers, bye then. GUM Elafonissi Blue Spinning Top Music Vinyl LP out: NOW at Spinning Top Music
