Published
When Temples released Sun Structures in 2014, they seemed determined to prove that twelve-string guitars, vocal harmonies and British sixties psychedelia still had something to say. Songs such as «Shelter Song» and «Mesmerise» quickly established them as one of the most recognisable names in that new generation of psychedelic bands.
Twelve years on, the Kettering band arrive in Granada with a rather different approach.
Their fifth album, Bliss, released on 26 June through V2 Records, shifts much of the emphasis from guitars towards synthesisers, electronic backing and dance rhythms. Psychedelic rock remains an influence, but now sits alongside references to British electronica of the late nineties and early 2000s.
The change is particularly apparent on songs such as «Jet Stream Heart», «Vendetta» and «Blue Flame», where the band retain their distinctive melodic sensibility while experimenting with structures and arrangements that lean towards the dancefloor.
James Bagshaw has described the album’s spirit as a combination of euphoria and melancholy. After working with Sean Ono Lennon on Exotico (2023), the group have taken back control of production, even using fragments of their own recordings as material for new compositions.
A club tour to reconnect with their audience
Temples have a close relationship with Spanish stages, having played numerous festivals in the country over the past decade.
In an interview with NoSoloIndie in June, Adam Smith recalled a performance at Vida Festival during which «Mesmerise» stretched to around fifteen minutes. The audience sang the melody so intensely that the band had to stop playing and let them carry on by themselves.
In the same conversation, Bagshaw said they were particularly excited about the November tour because, after so many one-off visits and festival appearances, it offered a chance to undertake a proper Spanish club tour.
The Granada show will offer a chance to hear how the songs from Bliss sit alongside the repertoire that built their reputation. At recent performances, songs such as «Shelter Song», «Certainty» and «Gamma Rays» have shared the spotlight with the new «Jet Stream Heart» and «Vendetta».
Perhaps that is the main attraction of this visit: hearing how a band initially so closely associated with sixties psychedelia translate their new electronic direction to the stage while retaining what has always distinguished their songs: the melodies.
Temples play Sala Aliatar in Granada on Thursday 19 November. Doors open at 7:30 pm and the show starts at 8:30 pm.