Sometimes life can throw some lovely surprises your way when you least expect it.
In the middle of June my social media inbox pinged with a message that read "Have a listen to these. You will probably want to run a mile and not want to talk to me again afterwards". There was a 15 minute long mp3 attached to the message which was from Iain Templeton, highly esteemed drummer with Shack (and for the John Leckie La's demos). My first thought was "Why me?". We have chatted at length about all sorts of things for quite some time; geography, music, politics but I felt quite honoured that he wanted my opinion on some of his own songs. My second thought was related to his suggestion that I might want to run a mile after listening to them, so in anticipation of hearing something akin to Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music (don't try to be cool and say you like it, it's shit) crossed with Napalm Death, I set my ears to wince and held my breath.
Within seconds my lugs had relaxed as waves crashed upon the shore and a blast of British whimsy akin to the Kinks and the Fabs brought a smile to my face (no mean feat kids) which remained for the duration. Beside the Sea (for that is what it was) is joyously beautiful (see the Pool Underground video below) and as the sun sizzled in the lockdown of June 2020 with us all dressed up (knotted handkerchiefs and misguided swimwear) and nowhere to go, I listened as Tempo's song quite brilliantly conjured up the innocent delights of the British seaside towns that were currently empty. Further echoes of Jeff Lynne abound as the waves and the gulls took me home to where I grew up by the sea. Impressed by this lovely little ditty I eagerly waited for the second song which was born out of the outro of By The Sea, and what a song it is.
I'll Be There is simply fantastic. Opening on a languid strum and a whistled melody it contains the most memorable lilt and by the second listen I already knew it in it's entirety, the sure sign of a wonderful tune! The lyrics are a lovely, heartfelt paean to a loved one and the warmth of the song is like receiving a massive musical man-hug.
Daze is reminiscent in vocal delivery and in some of the melodies of our multi-initialled and multi-talented friend across the water, Bill Ryder Jones. There is some clever word play within the title and song itself, which is no surprise, as anyone who has had a conversation with Iain will know his spoken word is littered with it. The song is an ode to the freedom of the night time and is best served by looking up at the glories of the stars whilst listening, maybe with a spliff on the go. It's initial conventional structure is punctured by a quite astonishing shimmering sitar and some deep sonorous explosions of who knows what (comets?) that stammer and stutter in the back of the mix. It is an amazing ending to a wonderful song.
Free has a vibe of Michael Head's The Strands. It is a mellow meander "like a bird in the sky", the kind of meditative, contemplative, Lennon-esque song that the Gallaghers have attempted but never quite authentically captured. It is also evidence that the recognised talents of Michael Head, John Head and Pete Wilkinson are not the only consummate songwriters in the mother-ship Shack. As with much of this song cycle there is a psychedelic undercurrent here which echoes the outright Beatledelica of another seaside dweller, Karl Wallinger's (Prestatyn fact fans) World Party.
The urgent yearning of Sola Luna concludes my journey through Tempo's surprise treat. Real handclaps punctuate the bouncing rhythm, there is a beautiful bridge, and then everything drops out bar the bouyant handclaps and, perhaps significantly, the drums.
My initial thought as the final notes of Sola Luna chimed was a simple "Cor!" Then I wondered why Iain had been sat on these songs for so long, and then "Hang on, I am not entirely sure, but did all five songs make reference to the sea?" The songs faded into each other and given the coastal theme the overall impression was that this was a ready to go, fully formed E.P.
The fact that Tempo thought I might not want to talk to him again afterwards suggests that he doesn't quite appreciate the quality of what he has been sitting on himself.
I don't want to taunt you further but he then sent me another batch (LostandFound...oh my...I've said too much) which are the equal if not better than these first five, but I will save that for another post.
After Ian Brown left the Stone Roses his first release was Unfinished Monkey Business which, aside from My Star, Corpses in Their Mouths and the gob-smacking Lions (with the addition of the beautiful and much missed soul of Denise Johnson R.I.P), sounded exactly like what it was, the first tentative steps of a musician not entirely sure of himself. Iain Templeton is ready to go. There is a singular identity about his songwriting and he is evidently adept at putting it all together.
Keep your ears and your eyes open because Tempo's trip is going to be a highly rewarding one that you won't want to get off.
Pool Underground's wonderfully wacky video for Solian (that word play again) - By The Sea - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4kmirKrCrw&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR344wl-djXGI2wRhOkgyK1_TdUrkzIbHMetj4vTAR3CqSKcXVnc17MIDd4
solian bandcamp - https://soulmio.bandcamp.com/
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