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Apr 19, 2017Every track on Volcano flows beautifully, almost overloaded with hooks and harmonies, and charged with rhythmic intent. But the soundscapes are infinitely brighter and weirder and more thrillingly modern.
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Mar 22, 2017Awash in synth waves and wooshes that are alternately bright and eerie, it's a low-tempo sleepwalk with lyrics that sound like dream narration.
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Mar 3, 2017If Temples needed to prove that they were more than talented revivalists, then Volcano should silence the doubters. Sure, you’re unlikely to find a Stormzy sample buried within its midst, but Temples’ second statement shows that innovation and notable progress can still sound classic.
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Mar 3, 2017Nothing about the group’s approach feels like a rehash, though, and Volcano is an even better show of originality and commitment to personal musical style than any previous release.
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Mar 2, 2017Volcano may rank as more of a technical progression than an artistic one, but it’s no less impressive for that.
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Mar 1, 2017It would have been really easy for Temples to pump out Sun Structures 2.0, but they took a chance, and the result is some really exciting rock'n'roll.
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Q MagazineFeb 27, 2017Second time round, they still marry old and new, but they've cut down on the stodge. [Apr 2017, p.118]
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Feb 27, 2017It’s rich in intricately layered synths, blending swathes of influences into a more distinctive sound.
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MojoFeb 27, 2017Temples aren't stuck in the past, they've glimpsed the future. [Apr 2017, p.94]
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Mar 3, 2017This record’s closest counterpart is last year’s Currents from Tame Impala. Temples can’t quite reach pop solidarity like those Aussies, but they come close enough.
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Apr 20, 2017Temples aren’t shy in applying a hazy, glitzy gloss to a lot of their work, but the strength of an ungarnished tune--Oh! The Saviour--shows that their rare disrobed moments can be stronger than their decorated ones.
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Mar 6, 2017Fans of the first album may be disappointed by the changes, especially since the band takes most of the psych out of its pop. Those who stick around will find that Volcano is a pretty good modern pop record.
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Mar 7, 2017Temples’ piercing synths certainly perplex and distract but probably not in the way they intended. Any emotional or meaningful messages that may be in these songs are completely lost. Some lovely moments do manage to fight their way through.
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Mar 6, 2017Volcano is a fun album of tightly-crafted, catchy melodies. But it’s in no way reinventing the genre the band members so keenly idolise.
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Mar 2, 2017If something is missing, it’s any kind of dark heart. After these 12 heaped spoonfuls of sugar, you may be left yearning for the medicine.
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Mar 2, 2017Volcano's songs seem to lack the spontaneity Sun Structures was built upon.
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UncutFeb 27, 2017The overall effect feels arch and a little insubstantial, James Bagshaw's airy vocals adding tot he sense of impermanence. They're best at their most direct. [Apr 2017, p.39]
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Mar 1, 2017With the toothless Volcano, they’ve abandoned that path [hinting at deep immersion in psych-rock] in favour of a wheedling, keyboard-heavy electropop sound with much less bite, pock-marked with dubious stylistic potholes.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 25 out of 32
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Mixed: 5 out of 32
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Negative: 2 out of 32
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Mar 30, 2017
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Apr 14, 2017