The Peep Tempel: The Peep Tempel

- Melbourne's The Peep Tempel (what does that name meeeean, can anyone tell me?), after a number of 7"s have finally got their debut album out in front of the public. I hadn't been aware there was any discussion as to what kind of rockin' it is - are there really people calling it dance punk? I could just about see that - the pace is frenetic, sometimes desperately so, but while they have a groove going on, does it have the danciness of a !!!? To me the Peep Tempel are at the heart of garage rock - Steven Carter's pounding, distorted and highly rhythmic guitar-work and Blake Scott's clipped vocals. Back when it was just them, Peep Tempel's sound had a savage, treble attack which matched the slightly tinnier production and both those things contributed to the idea that they were just a garage band. The addition of Matt Chow, bassist from Graveyard Train has fleshed out the sound considerably, as has the recording, production and mastering done by Clinton Kraus, Casey Rice and Joseph Cara. The band has also felt comfortable, on an album length recording, to move away from the short sharp rockers they've been known for and do a bit of Stones-esque rocking and rolling, like on People Don't Get You. Even on tracks like the inherently punky Thank You Machiavelli you can feel more rock leaking in to the sound. God, the album's final track Mister Lester Moore sounds a bit like Joy Division - New Wave isn't that far from dance punk, maybe they are! Nah, for the most part Peep Tempel's self-titled debut is a thumping garage rock, it might be experimenting a little bit around the edges but the best bits are from the core of their sound and if you haven't heard some of them already, you should check it out.

Chris Cobcroft.