Album Review: Temples – Hot Motion

English psych-rockers Temples offer up their third album, Hot Motion. The brash title track blasts with an insistent glam-rock stomp that bounces playfully. It’s a wild, stadium-sized psychedelic sound which suggests that Temples have their eye on a much bigger picture. 

In the past, Temples’ tunes felt like a time machine back to the swinging '60s era of paisley psychedelic-rock, but Hot Motion finds them putting a dark, contemporaneous spin on the groovy glitter of retro glam. The band’s take on glam is not high on boogie, but rather exists deep under the influence of psych-rock, giving this album much of its fuzzed and distorted grit. The hooks on cuts like The Beam are epic earworms which drill deep while delivering broad pop appeal. 

Moving beyond operating as a basic rock band, Temples fill out these tunes with shimmering synths and sweetly swooning strings to dreamy effect. While there are plenty of tunes here that could easily provide Temples with singles fodder, the band have crafted a satisfying album experience. Embracing a new sound, Hot Motion deserves the respectful worship of the band's namesake.