Sun Structures

Temples—Sun Structures

Review by Luis A. Apolaya

The entirety of this British band’s debut album is what a modern take on a late 60’s nostalgia marathon would sound like. It’s not as adventurous or innovative as Tame Impala (though Temple’s singer is another Lennon sound-alike), but it’s still a pleasant collection of what we love to remember from the 60’s. Recommended: 1, 2, 6, 8. RIYL Tame Impala, The Zombies, The Byrds, psychedelic-era Beatles.

**1. (3:11) If someone had told me this track was released in 1967 I would have believed it, if only it wasn’t so well-produced. Byrds-esque guitars, catchy cadence, hook and distant chorus.
**2. (5:13) Lots of guitar with fuzz and twang, moderately upbeat, percussion and bass and occasional synth add up to create a pleasurable ruckus.
*3. (4:11) Melody reminiscent of what is popularly presented as Egyptian music, upbeat, feels slightly mysterious, low-volume, almost inaudible synths from 3:30.
*4. (4:37) March-like cadence, Beatlesque (think Revolver), hints at baroque pop, synth harp also appears.
*5. (3:42) High-pitched guitar riff, happy and excited feel, catchy overall
**6. (5:11) Slow to mid-tempo, how a very pleasant acid trip would feel like, think Tame Impala’s “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” without the synths.
*7. (5:11) Lots of twangy guitar and synth backgrounds, engaging cadence, distant chorus.
**8. (5:12) Mid-tempo, yet instruments add some urgency, suggests Celtic folk music, something that would play while valiant warriors commence their journey to find the bloody bastard plaguing their kingdom with mysterious deaths.
*9. (4:07) Reminiscent of the Doors, has that groovy guitar and synth, more emphasis on the synth than the guitar.
10. (3:53) The music’s getting kinda repetitive at this point, upbeat, lots of falsetto, lots of synths.
11. (6:31) Suggests Arabian sounds, also kinda repetitive, mid-tempo, lots of echo, lots of synths, guitars display some artistic liberty by the latter half of the track.
*12. (1:57) Acoustic guitar, distant vocals, some synths appear in the background, very nice soft melody to end the album.