Australia’s own The Temper Trap seems to have done things a little backwards. Their previous release peaked with what most would call a “one hit wonder,” but the meat of their talent is just coming to light. They hold a special place to us here at Nanobot Rock and to see them grow within their style and sound like this is exactly what I had hoped for.
With their forthcoming self-titled release, adding fifth member Joseph Greer permanently to the lineup, The Temper Trap evolves musically and lyrically. The band has stepped out of an overly used promo song for Fox shows and into serious artists. Know now that you will find no “Sweet Disposition” here and that is not a bad thing. If that leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth go, watch Glee. For the rest of us who saw Conditions as a quality album, the pot just got sweeter.
One year ago, I spoke to the organ-rock style of these Aussies and proclaimed there was a sound hidden deep inside that would set them apart. From the beginning The Temper Trap is a whole new world. From the incorporation of media surrounding the London Riots in “London’s Burning” to the retro grooves that is “Never Again” The Temper Trap has matured; a lot. This album is very easy to get yourself lost in. Each of the twelve tracks stands out with originality and ceases all notion of time. There comes a point where I was questioning if I was in fact listening to the same band we’d experienced last year or if Dougy Mandagi had somehow channeled Freddie Mercury in his later years. “Dreams” would fit nicely into the posthumous album Made in Heaven. Intentional or not, it, like the whole album, is memorable and sings to your inner most audiophile.
With all due respect to their previous work, these boys have finally come into their own. The Temper Trap is not for the person looking for another mega-hit. Instead, the group has spread the creativity among the tracks and crafted another fantastic, if not better, album.