Albums

The Temper Trap - Conditions

Paul Cook 12/08/2009

Rating: 4.5/5

Ahead of embarking on their first UK headline tour in September, Australian 4 piece The Temper Trap release their debut album Conditions full of fantastically swooping vocals and opulent guitars. Frontman Dougy Mandagi's voice has tremendous depth and range whilst Toby Dundas keeps the ebb-and-flow of energy high throughout the band's debut long player with variable rhythms on the drums.

Recent single Sweet Disposition is currently sitting right at the top of the pile here at God is in the TV and is just a small example of the talent the band has for layering soft, mellow vocals upon the ever-so-delicate yet powerful mixture of riffs and drums. Down River comes close to disguising itself as a Vampire Weekend B-side at first but comes powering through on the other side of the chorus making the Big Apple's indie-kids look like somewhat of a wet blanket band in comparison.

Fader is another of track full of catchy, confident song writing and along with Sweet Disposition and Science of Fear it's no wonder Korda Marshall signed them to his label 'Infectious Music' - Conditions will have you listening again and again. The Temper Trap do the slow stuff brilliantly as well, shown best on the low-key Soldier On as it paces itself through its poetic love tale.

The band aren't breaking particularly new ground but they don't need to, as they display on all ten tracks of Conditions that they have an incredibly acute ear for what works and what doesn't. Every track has it's own atmosphere and the band's soulful rock style and falsetto vocals is invigorating after a year only lightly peppered with great albums. You have to love a long-player with no filler. Here is a band I look forward to seeing at Reading Festival.

Conditions is out now on Infectious Records