Temples returns with vibes as far and wide as the mind's eye can see.

Photo by Molly Daniel

When it comes the releases from more established bands, I'll often put listening to those on the back burner while I catch up on lesser-known groups who could actually benefit from my writing about them to (hopefully) introduce them to a wider (and newer) audience. So that's how I found myself this Sunday, taking in the Temples album Exotico a few weeks after its release.

And even though I was in the midst of making dinner, I almost dropped my spatula and ran for my computer to pick up Exotico on vinyl, one of my current go-tos when it comes to supporting bands I think have released exceptional albums these days. I know everyone can stream everything to their heart's content, but buying a physical copy (or paying for the lossless digital version) still feels like a way to make a fiscal vote and hopefully contribute to a group's continued survival, while getting a physical artifact I can play no matter what happens with the server farms across the planet.

But I digress.

I did manage to control myself and finish making dinner before purchasing the LP, but I'm sure you're asking yourself, "What could cause a guy like him to almost drop everything like that?" And the answer is simple: Exotico is quite possibly the best album Temples has ever released. 

On Exotico, Temples continues its groove-based approach to psych-pop here, but the attention to detail is such that even repetitive elements bubble and crackle with energy. Temples leans into the vibez aspect of their sound while beefing up the thundering percussive elements and inserting enough weird little bits and bobs to keep your brain and shaking hips fully engaged.

Enough chatter from me, though; sink into the sound and then snag a copy (in the format of your choice), and lets get lost in the vibe together.