Time Capsule: Everything Remains the Same

It being Memorial Day I figured I'd honor the spirit of the weekend and highlight a couple bands whose music will get you reflecting upon earlier times and the people who've come and gone with them, courtesy of the throwback debuts from Temples and Foxygen. There's a lot of similarities between the two, hence my pairing them together here -- both are backward-looking time capsules that wouldn't sound out of place on AM radio in the late sixties, full of shimmering guitars, lush pop flourishes (harps, Mellotrons, etc), and catchy, lovely melodies that paint the room with sunshine.

Both albums are best consumed in their entirety, as the song cycles and tonal shifts flow into each other nicely, leaving the listener with a more satisfying meal at the end than is possible snacking on the songs one at a time. Which is not to say the songs can't stand on their own -- between the two albums there really isn't a weak song in the bunch -- it's just that the experience is all the more transportive if digested as a whole. And both albums are also immediately evocative of bands that came before -- for Temples the itch is primarily of fellow Britons The Byrds (along with more modern purveyors/replicators Kula Shaker), while Foxygen's parallel is undeniably The London Years-era Rolling Stones.  In fact, for the latter, lead singer Sam France's voice at times sounds so similar to early-era Jagger that it's uncanny -- you think you've landed in some treasure trove of lost Stones classics rather than new songs from a completely different (modern) band.

Which is all to say, somewhat unsurprisingly considering those parallels, these are both really great little albums.  Temples' debut (Sun Structures) tips more towards the psychedelic pop side of the spectrum, with its reverb-laden guitars and vocals, tripped-out lyrics, and Indian influences characteristic of the era. From the shimmery lead single (and album opener) "Shelter Song" to similar gems "The Golden Throne," "Keep in the Dark," and "The Guesser," there's a warmth and sheen that permeates proceedings and casts a metaphorical glow. (The lyrics and song titles lend to the effect too, with their repeated references to gold, light, sun, and color.)

Foxygen tips more towards the bluesy end of the spectrum with their stellar debut, We are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic, mixing in healthy doses of pop for good measure. (Don't let the clunky title throw you -- I promise the album's worth it.) They waste no time showing off those capabilities, with the album's first two songs album showing both sides in sequence.  The album opens with the latter first (the shiny "In the Darkness") before showing off their bluesy swagger with the devastating "No Destruction," which is five minutes of pure perfection.  France's vocals there start like someone who's barely awake, but as the song builds he rouses himself into a fervor, like Jagger at his finest.

What follows dances between these two poles (throwing in the random surfer guitar instrumental ("Bowling Trophies") for good measure) -- tracks like "San Francisco" and "Shuggie" are classic 60s pop, while "On Blue Mountain" and the title track show off a little muscle. (And tracks like "Oh Yeah" walk the line between the two.)  All of it hands together nicely, though. Their debut clocks in at about half the duration of Temples', so definitely leaves you wanting more, but what's present still gives you plenty to chew on over repeated listens.

Two solid debuts from two bands who will transport you back in time -- check out "Shelter Song" from Temples and "No Destruction" from Foxygen to see for yourself: