Opener Certainty suggests a band in the throes of old school synth-pop as if Gary Numan never left popular taste. All Join In updates things a little but the peevish singalong shows that the band favour a slow evolution, albeit with slightly underdone results.
Vocalist James Bagshaw sounds like a choirboy who could use a shot of caffeine – his saccharine voice is too unadulterated. Oh The Saviour provides a change of pace. A smattering of a George Harrison subdued palate is a successful escape from the electro cul-de-sac. Almost like a hippy mini-symphony it does stutter near the end before Born Into The Sunset picks up the mirrorball to rejoin the race.
By the mid-point of How Would You Like To Go? the sense of lingering confusion remains unabated. The pop-up discotheque is replaced by radio friendly melodies which lead the band’s desire to make an assault on world domination with portentous synth washes. The swings into pop seduction suggest Temples could do with a push in the right direction by a strong hand because Mystery Of Pop and Roman God-Like Man channel what is good about success and exactly why parts of this album are easy to enjoy on their own terms.
By Bronius Zumeris
