I cannot claim to be an expert on all things-New Zealand. For what it’s worth, the first thing that I think of when New Zealand is mentioned is that lovable and laughable duo from Flight of the Concords. But something tells me that I’ve found a new liking from the land of kiwi – the Julian Temple Band.
In the 11-track adventure ‘Upsidedownbackwards’ album, I felt just that – in all different directions. I was pulled in towards a more blues/funk based sound; at other times I felt like I was hanging out at a beach resort, waiting for the steel drummer to keep time. And, at other times, the stirring violin strings showed me the way towards a country-Americana state.
Calling its sound ‘Surf Noir,’ the Julian Temple Band collides the listener with an organic blend of island music, soul, funk and smart lyrics throughout the 11 tracks. My only disappointment unfortunately came at the onset – “My Heart” (track one). The repetitive lyrics came with a funky baseline and a skattered guitar riff here and there. The song just didn’t engage me as much as I’d hoped.
“Dark Bar,” the title track and “Ghosts” took me much more willingly. “Dark Bar” is a fun tune and I especially liked the organic guitar plucking. The title track is gritty but has this fine line of beautifully evil violin strings paving the way to interesting lyrics and harmonies. The chunky guitar riffs mixed with the unique vocals makes this song a style all on its own.
The lyrics in “Ghosts” are paramount – they stir the listener into complete attention.
In “Bottle of God” the mood could be all the more depressing, but the Julian Temple Band transforms the orchestration into this remarkably upbeat sound; the vulnerable lyrics crave the same attention.
In “Fate” there’s an eery feeling. At one point, this island, almost Latin sounding moment distracts the listener. It’s as if there’s a zipper hick-upping down the beach.
“Create a Desolation,” “Bath Salts,” “Bazz,” “Devil on the Other” and “Sleep” round out the rest of the album. Overall, these tracks were all unique and strangely soothing at the same time. Fans of John Mayer, Gotye, the Dave Matthews Band and Blue October will find something they like on ‘Updsidedownbackwards.’ The album garners an overall A- rating.
