Exotico

Over the course of their first three albums, Temples made a strong case that they could be considered the premier psychedelic band of their era. Marrying big, hooky songs with a bright and punchy sound that was both sufficiently spacey and insistent, they put all the pieces together in a way few others could manage. They were also a fairly self-contained unit, recording at home with the bands James Bagshaw producing. That changed with 2023s Exotico, which they recorded in upstate New York with producer Sean Ono Lennon, whom they had worked with remotely on the 2021 neo-disco single "Paraphernalia." That track was mixed by Dave Fridmann, whose CV includes a long list of satisfied clients ranging from the Flaming Lips to Tame Impala. The band brought him back for Exotico, too. During the writing and rehearsing process, the group sought to bring all their various influences together and reformulate them in new ways. They turned to Lennon for help in expanding into reconstructed sonic territory as well, and he gave the band full access to all the funky keys and sound-making devices he had in his studio, as well as jumping in to add the occasional musical assist. The result is a bright and shiny album that combines Temples psychedelic influences with electronics, while Fridmanns opulently layered mix gives their retro sound a sleek, up-to-date face-lift. ~ Tim Sendra

英ケタリングのインディー・バンドによる通算4作目は名手デイヴ・フリッドマンがミックス、そして何とショーン・レノンがプロデュースを担当。彼ららしいサイケデリックなサウンドが楽しめるが、音楽の色彩は明らかに過去作と違い、例えるならモノトーンからフルカラーに変化したと言っていい。新たな音楽家との制作で新境地を生み出した好例とも言える刺激的な作品。
bounce (C)赤瀧洋二