Artist: The Trouble With Templeton

Album: Rookie
Label:  Bella Union
Rating: 8/10

The debut album Rookie by The Trouble With Templeton encapsulates the Australian five-piece band’s multidimensional and versatile sound in a fashion that deserves to be heard and lauded.

The genre of this album is not as clear-cut to define, as the album itself is a complex plethora of sounds which not only shed light on the band’s great musical ability but also their influences. Each track on the album is distinct from the other and presents a varying combination of musical arrangements; from “Whimpering Child” which is reminiscent of Radiohead’s In Rainbow sound to the acoustic ballad “Secret Pastures” which is a minimalist yet undoubtedly passionate lament for lost love and a “sense of home.” The band is not afraid to show their rock side with songs like “Like A Kid” and “Six Months in A Cast” which have the ability to energize the listener with their spirited choruses. The writing ability of the band – although ever-present throughout the album – is especially highlighted with songs like “Soldiers” and the closing track “Lint” where the emotion in lead vocalist Thomas Calder’s voice demands to be heard and felt. The band’s confidence is showing their different sides captures the listener’s attention and in my own opinion, perfectly displays the band’s talent and ability.

Although all the songs are reminiscent of a wide array of different genres, they all fit together in perfect harmony in the album and transport the listener to a whole new dimension with their rhythmic percussive qualities, riffs and ultimately, Calder’s melancholic voice. In the words of Thomas himself the album is “a whole kaleidoscope of sounds and genres, but there’s something holding it together, and that’s us as a band.” Rookie is a perfect debut for TTWT and I only predict great things for them in the future.

http://bellaunion.com/artists/the-trouble-with-templeton/

Mariam Aamir