Album Review: The Temper Trap – Sungazer
2 min read
The Temper Trap are the latest in a long line of indie bands resurrecting themselves from their self-imposed hiatuses, and theirs is one to be truly excited for. Finding massive success at the turn of the 2010’s with their debut album Conditions, the band rode on the wave that came from tracks like Fader and Sweet Disposition and into new sounds on subsequent albums, before going on hiatus in 2019. Now, after a ten-year break from new material, they’ve returned with fourth album Sungazer.
The album opens with the tightly compressed and blisteringly distorted Lucky Dimes. It’s a song that feels pushed to the limit, and one that acts as a litmus test for newcomers and fans alike. Into The Wild follows this with a softer palette, the chorus explosive but not destructive and the verses lead by acoustic guitars and a driving beat. The gorgeous bed of synths that open These Arms lead expertly into a throwback-type guitar riff, the airy vocals and ambient effects adding to the vibe. Bird on a Wire moves at a mid-tempo pace with an anthemic chorus at its core, while Giving Up Air moves into a dance realm with a groove that moves you from the get-go.
Sungazer build slowly and maintains a slow pulsating energy throughout. It’s a beautiful song and is definitely worthy of being the title track. Lifeline has a loose, stomping groove with an 80s flare, while Runaways falls into the throwback category as a song that could have fit perfectly on their earlier records, which is by no means a criticism. Halfway and Dystopia Radio have an urgency that sees them breeze past in a flash of ferocious rhythms and gritty guitars, leading to closer Kuru which begins fully striped back with acoustic and vocals. More instrumentation rises out of the lo-fi towards the back half of the track, concluding the album on a cinematic high.
Sungazer is a satisfyingly experimental album for a comeback release, holding onto elements of the band’s previous releases but pushing the sonic landscape outwards. Some ideas will be divisive, but after a decade of radio silence this is certainly a comeback worth listening to.
Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
