Temples return after four years with Exotico – potentially their most ambitious and free-minded record yet. With a career heading into its second decade in the game, the Kettering band let loose of their DIY ways and deliver a sound that could come from anywhere in the world. Diving deep into the desert, space, wherever. It is a vast tapestry of art that leaves us feeling very satisfied.
‘Liquid Air’ kicks things off in a big way. Forgoing the immediacy of ‘Shelter Song’ and focused solely on making an impact, the album’s opener makes an impact that allows all of its tricks to spread out far and wide. Stomping at its own pace, it forces you to pay attention and get locked in to its rhythm. It is an epic introduction into a record that looks to offer much more of the same.
And honestly, Exotico does drink from the same pool throughout, but the good thing is that its source is huge. Filled with all sorts of genres and influences to ensure it stays refreshed and unpredictable. It offers a broad range of vibes, all loosely contained within Temples’ neo-psychedelic style, but highlights their knack to create a good hook that keeps things accessible too.
‘Gamma Rays’ is an excellent example of this. Blending together hazy atmospheric guitars with straight-to-the-hips basslines to make this sprawling, sandy number feel like an upcoming hit for festival season. And while the accessibility is there, the album’s explorative nature is allowed to shine best on tracks like ‘Cicada’. It boasts a strong Eastern influence but is paired with a solid vocal delivery that keeps it catchy. Rounded off nicely by flurries of percussion and waves of synths, this is Temples’ sound at its most layered and it sounds superb.
The constant movement of the synths inside ‘Meet Your Maker’ makes it one of the most interesting tracks on Exotico. With the Eastern flair still present, it’s the addition of almost-trance elements that convert it into an energetic number that injects some pace into the record’s closing stages. It could fit comfortably on a King Gizzard record.
In spite of its near-hour long runtime, Exotico is a lot of fun to listen to. Temples have done a brilliant job in creating a piece of work that offers a lot of material that flows well. At no point does it feel bloated by its tracklisting, and I think that’s largely down to how diverse and experimental it is. Exotico sees Temples’ sound explored thoroughly, and delivers it in a big, big way.