Album Review #2 Sun Structures

Review #2: Sun Structures - Temples

Title: Sun Structures

Artist: Temples

Year: 2014

Genre: Neo-Psychedelia, Psychedelic Pop

Listen along: (Youtube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbiG5E09b0 (Spotify) https://play.spotify.com/album/2z6ViXcGvjE0wbKkbwqcmg

Before beginning, I just really want to thank everyone who has decided to check this blog out, hopefully you guys dug the last album. And yeah, I've been listening to everyone's requests, and I will definitely release a review for one of them within the next week or so. But I felt I had to do a pretty different album entirely from the last one before tackling one of the requests and this just kinda stood out as one that really needed discussion.

Temples are one of the many recent bands who are trying to recreate the sound of 60's psychedelia, the likes of The Beatles, The Zombies, Jefferson Airplane, etc. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the classics and I can definitely dig some of the newer artists imitating the sound, but a lot of it can also get rather cliched and bland. Temples have gained a lot of notoriety for being extremely accurate to the sound of the 60's. Lots of lazy laidback singing, fuzzy guitars, and a generally "mystic" atmosphere with lots of dense layers. But do Temples stack up? Read on or scroll to the summary at the end.

Track 1: Shelter Song THIS is how you open up an album. First time I heard this song on the radio on my way to work one day I really thought from that opening guitar riff that this was some lost classic from the 60's. That riff is just so fun... it just pops with this kind of noisy bounciness. I feel like it's almost Arabian themed. But enough about the riff because... the rest is just alright. It's incredibly repetitive but it's not a bad thing but I guess the vocals seem kinda off, because the whole backup chanting before every lyric of the chorus is kinda dumb and corny. It's an underdeveloped track but it's fairly memorable, it just seems like a case of style over substance, the track starts and... that's it. It doesn't develop, it doesn't surprise, it just plods along for 3 minutes and ends. But it's catchy I guess.

Track 2: Sun Structures Right away this track sets itself up to be something more than Shelter Song. The drums are thumped quickly and angrily, and the guitar has this sinister tone to it that just hits the spot. Things seem like they stop progressing until after the first verse where BAM the guitar totally changes tone for just a furious few seconds it gets really loud, distorted and fuzzy. And it's really cool. The whole song seems to have a lot more going for it, cryptic lyrics revolving around a "long lost fortune", constantly changing song structures that eventually just turn into a crazy trippy jam. Even simple touches like the ghostly "ohhhhhhhhhh"'s in the background are very well placed. And ambient ending is just icing on the cake. It may be less "fun" than the first song but it just feels so much better.

Track 3: The Golden Throne Totally sensing a pattern with this album. Catchy and bouncy guitar opening? Check. Airy vocals from a guy trying way too hard to sound like John Lennon? Yep. Kinda stupid fantasy based lyrics? Of course. This track has a kinda cool melody with it's verses sorta like a rollercoaster with going up and down, but all it really is is just a pleasant sound, and plus it's way, way too wordy. Like just keep it simply lyrically man. I don't feel anything with this, I'm not captivated by the atmosphere, and I'm sure not singing along to that weak ass chorus. The vocal harmonies are pretty at least, but it feels a little forced, like they're aiming as hard as they can to sound like they're from the 60's, but forget to actually put a song behind the technique.

Track 4: Keep in the Dark Gotta give them props here for actually starting the song off differently here. The percussion heavy thump and almost twangy acoustic guitar give a southern rootsy feel to it. Not quite country, but on the right path. The constant repeating of "Keep in the dark to stay out of the light" is charming at first but proves to be annoying after awhile. Then they start to make it all psychedelic again but the transition is awkward and doesn't feel very natural. It suddenly turned into another boring same old same old from Temples, but there's a few surprises, like the random brass added in the middle of it. Personally I love the idea of this arrangement, it's bluesy, starts off bare and minimal but turns into a rocker, and finally ending with a synth break, but the execution of it is just uninteresting. Temples sound like they have the right idea here but there's no life to it. It just falls flat.

Track 5: Mesmerise Wait what? I know I've been criticizing them for following the same formula for every song and this track still follows that formula but is actually entertaining. Like it has the usual bouncy guitar riff as before, but it just is so much more memorable and lively. The riff is loud, it is whining... it's just so catchy. And don't get me started on the chorus. The harmonies this band pulls off while singing this song could be mistaken for a Beatles track. And it has a really solid melody to back it up. The bridge slows things down a little and suffers because of it, but overall song proves what's wrong with most of this album. Most of the songs are trying to ape long "deep" 60's jam bands when they should be sticking to high energy pop songs like this. This actually has a personality. Tracks like Keep in the Dark and the tracks after this definitely don't.

Track 6: Move with the Season There is no excuse to make a song this uninteresting over five minutes. It starts off promising enough, kinda lazy and relaxed with a mid-tempo pace, the melody of "mooooove with the seeeeason" is decent. But then they just keep going. They add another super-pretentious chorus that serves no point other than to pad out the song's length I mean just read this trash: 

  "Take the handle, make it out now, never 

Take the crystal quill from me now, all we see 

The ink upon the glass 

The season through the night now paper white 

Making plans upon a crimson moonrise 

Take your crystal from the ground, now, all we see 

The see-through-colored words

 The season through the night now paper white"

I mean I normally don't care about lyrics if the song actually sounds good enough, but this is just so bland and uncaptivating, so know I change my attention to the lame quasi-philosophical lyrics, which are just nonsense. The problem is that this band is so caught up in sounding as 60's as possible that they don't do anything with it. I could totally see this being released in the 60's sure, but it would be a really mediocre album in the 60's.

Track 7: Colours to Life Pretty sure I just fell asleep during this whole track idk what to say it's the same thing as all the other songs

Track 8: A Question Isn't Answered This one really isn't much to write about either without just repeating my same thoughts over and over again from the last seven tracks but I'm sure gonna try... The handclaps at the beginning are kinda gimmicky but work to make things a little less dull. They're trying here, they really are, but it sounds way too thin. About halfway through this pretty sick and surprisingly heavy guitar riff comes in, super fuzzy and distorted. They actually kinda do a pretty tight jam here but the majority of the track where the singing takes place is far more dull and hackneyed. But props for the little jam part in the middle.

Track 9: The Guesser This one is far more simple than the last 5+ minute tracks, and benefits greatly from that. Like a lot of the songs before it they still try to pad it with a bit of filler, but it's much less and the result is interesting. Not GREAT exactly, but there's a playful vibe to it, the piano is fun and swingy, and the harmonies in the chorus are pretty easy to get stuck in your head. They actually sound like they're having fun here, even if the result is a little TOO simple even.

Track 10: Test of Time Oh come on, this type of song shouldn't be so easy to fuck up, yet they kind of did it somehow... the harmonies in the chorus are gorgeous. Like man these guys can sing when they actually feel like it, but that's it. It's a really pretty and catchy song but I don't feel anything from it. If I wasn't typing this review this very second I guarantee I would've forgotten it right after I heard it. It's pure air, in one ear and out the other. Nothing at all to make this stand out from a band like Tame Impala or Foxygen.

Track 11: Sand Dance God no. Just no. The first 10 seconds is a really cool acoustic guitar intro with an Egyptian like sound to it. Cool, that's actually unique. But no to everything else. Totally aimless noodling on their instruments for 6 and a half minutes with bored vocals chiming in once and awhile. This is what so many people's bad stereotype of psychedelic music sounds like. Just boring beyond belief, probably the worst track on the whole album.

Track 12: Fragment's Light Well they sure tried something different here. For one, they actually made a short song, and it's pretty. And it would work very well if it was say... in the middle of the album by all the long songs as a transition piece. But the end? Jesus, I can barely remember the song despite hearing it just a minute ago, it's a horribly underwhelming ending to the album. But I mean, it's got a nice atmosphere at least, sparse acoustic guitars, little cymbal crashes, a hushed vocal... but overall it's just ho hum.

Summary: This album is frustrating. It has moments of absolute brilliance with Sun Structures and Mesmerise, even The Guesser. But as a whole? This album has no identity. It's a collection of random songs that try to be the new Beatles but can't even get to Tame Impala level. These boys have talent, they really do and I would maybe be interested in a future release but I just can't recommend this overall. It's really tiring to get through so many long, droning, atmosphereless songs to reach a few good ideas. There's nothing outright bad here, but very little to actually warrant a full listen. If you want a great band that brings psychedelic music to the modern age, listen to The Flaming Lips, not this. Or even better, find some old vinyls of The Beatles and Pink Floyd. But don't waste your time here.

It's a decent effort but I can't give it a very good rating, 2.5/5.0 stars.

Hope you liked this review, leave comments and requests in the bottom, and I promise the next review will be one of you guys' requests. Tell your friends. 

Album Review #1: Whenever, If Ever

Review #1: Whenever, If Ever - The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

Title: Whenever, If Ever

Artist: The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

Year: 2013

Genre: Midwest Emo

Listen along: (Youtube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0ktGbG4eZQ (Spotify) https://play.spotify.com/album/1ssuSs3zMKvHOq3usUvfxw 

A lot of thoughts are probably racing through your head now: 

Why does this band have such a bad name?

 What the hell is midwest emo?

 Why did you invite me to like your page on Facebook, Jacob and why should I care?

Look, I really really like music. I need an outlet to talk about it. Please read my reviews, I just wanna share what I enjoy (or discuss what I don't) with you lovely people. I'll take any of your requests, I'm gonna cover a huge variety of genres and eras of music, so just because I'm starting with some band with a whiny name doesn't mean you shouldn't read these.

Anyway, on to the actual album. Before I go into each track I just want to say that this isn't at all like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, or whatever else you would call emo music. This has much more in common with the 90's movement of the genre with bands like American Football, Sunny Day Real Estate, etc. But it also takes those bands and adds incredibly really twinkly and lush layers of guitar, giving these songs a hazy and dreamy feel. So even if you don't think you like this genre, I'd really suggest giving this a listen, it may surprise you. By the way, if you want just a quick review of the album, just scroll past the track names and to the bottom of this post.

Track 1: blank #9 Starting things off, this track isn't anything special but I sure can't imagine the record opening any other way. It's more of an introduction than an actual song, with the first minute or so being a real tense ambiance. There's some gorgeously soft cymbal rolls in the background, and finally it suddenly breaks. The tension is gone, and this delicate guitar lick starts repeating itself in the background while violins start playing. It's really really cheesy, but it sure sets the mood right for the album.

Track 2: Heartbeat In the Brain  If you only listen to one song off of this album make it this one. It's not quite the best, but it sure represents everything the album is about in one package. The fantastic transition from the last song into this one immediately picks up the tempo, the guitars do this really cool thing that I can't describe any other way than DODDDOODODODODODO before the vocals kick in. They aren't everyone's cup of tea, but man does lead singer Thomas Diaz just ache with passion in his voice. The pace is really odd, jumping from huge crescendo to soft break quickly, and constantly changes from fast to slow, giving a roller coaster feel. There's a little bit of screaming in the middle that doesn't quite fit, but it's restrained enough that it doesn't ruin the track. Lyrically it may seem like your typical teenage angst, but the changes in tone Diaz drops down to a whisper, begging please "Tell me we belong here" make the lyrics feel much more real.

Track 3: Fightboat  HOLY SHIT IS THAT A HORN PLAYING?! I LOVE HORNS!!! Seriously, this track just kicks you straight in the gut, a total assault on the senses. Unlike the previous track, which is long and goes through several movements, Fightboat just decides to totally rock out. And man does it work. The track has a raw, punky vibe that just is perfect after the previous "extravagant" song. The synth breakdown in the middle just comes out of nowhere spicing up the mood. If I haven't mentioned this already, don't go into this album expecting catchy melodies, this is total mood music. But man, that atmosphere is otherworldly.

Track 4:  Picture of a Tree That Doesn't Look Okay The guitar in the beginning pretty much sums up that feeling of suburban teenage awkwardness. It is slow. Lumbering. And really, really, empty. I love how this song just is so unsure of itself and feels as though it was just improvised as it went along. Lines like "Do you think the landlord's pissed? We left a car parked on the lawn again." are perfect in how personal and yet vaguely universal enough that anyone feels like they can relate. And god that crescendo, just kills me. This is probably my favorite track, it just steadily builds up into this intensity after the slow beginning.

Track 5: You Will Never Go To Space  Okay this one really isn't that special. If you liked the previous tracks, you'll like this one, and if you didn't you won't. It works great in the context of the album as a transition piece, but standing by itself it's just alright. Nothing really to say that I haven't already said, except that the bass line in the second half of this song fucking rules. Oh yeah, and the vocals here can actually get pretty obnoxious, even for the genre's standard.

Track 6: The Layers of Skin We Drag Around This and You Will Never Go To Space are a lot stronger when you think of them as one track, when left by itself this is just forgettable pop punk. Where's the twinkly guitars? Where's the originality? Where's that emotion? It's not bad, but it definitely doesn't lend itself a lot to talk about. In the context of the album this is just a alright piece of filler, it fits in with the rest of the album in tone I guess.

Track 7: Ultimate Steve This song is anthemic. It's very, very, cliched but it does the cliche so well it doesn't even matter. Much of the track is just one long instrumental crescendo, but the buildup is just lovely. And when the vocals finally come in, Diaz just lets it loose. Yelling about how "The world will destroy me" isn't exactly high art, but it's done with such passion and subtlety it doesn't even matter. This track just oozes melancholy emotions.

Track 8: Gig Life Total change of pace here. The acoustic guitar threw me for a loop but this isn't a generic ballad or anything. Opening with my personal favorite line of the album "You were afraid to make mistakes, but that's the biggest one you made" hits a little too close to home for me, but it sure rings true, and really ties into the album's theme of desperately wanting to live out your youth to the fullest. This track is very clear, very focused, hell, it kinda even has a chorus and melody to it unlike pretty much any other song on here. It succeeds in being a simple, fragile tale of the homesickness of touring in a band.

Track 9: Low Light Assembly While there was hints of it throughout, the album goes full on into an indie pop song here. Very, very quiet. A soothing addition of a female vocalist to back up Diaz helps add a calm to the chaos of previous songs. It's a little generic perhaps, but it's all about the little touches here, like the gentle ocean waves that are softly spread out through the song. And this is also the perfect spot for this tune on the album, as it perfectly ends directly into the explosive final song, Getting Sodas.

Track 10: Getting Sodas The opening guitar riff here makes me feel really uneasy. Like that feeling where you have that sinking pit in your gut kind of uneasy. The contrast between the relaxation of the previous track is great, but it only gets better from here. The track continues like many of the others with the awkward teenage lyrics and delicate guitar, but then BAM! The shouting here unlike most other spots in the album works flawlessly. "WHERE'S YOUR TACT? WHERE'S YOUR GRACE? WHERE ARE THE THINGS YOU REPLACE?!" so blunt, so angry, and in just the perfect spot to rock out to. Then the tempo changes once again and the drums sound like cannons aiming straight toward your heart. Another long buildup happens in the middle of the song, until the album finally drops the angst and starts to sound kind of hopeful. Yeah, they start chanting lyrics based off the band name so it should be corny, but it's actually kind of endearing and ends the album with one last big crescendo. 

Summary: This album is a fucking mess. It's full of random ideas and the band can't seem to stay still for one moment. It's complicated, moody, and vague, and yet... that's why the album is so brilliant. It's full of life and full of heart, always trying to impress you along the way. It captures the feeling of being that bored angry teenager way too well. It's rough around the edges, but it's just so alive. Turn off your mind and take just a half hour and immerse yourself in this album, even if you're normally not a fan of this style of music, I promise you won't regret it.

I'll give it a nice 4.0/5.0

Comments, requests, etc.? I'd love to hear what you guys have to say, and I'm sorry if this review wasn't the greatest. I'm still working on my writing style and if you have any tips please tell me.