Luke Temple’s atmospheric folk takes flight.
It’s been an especially fruitful year for Luke Temple. Since the psych-folk singer re-branded himself as Here We Go Magic in 2009, he’s released a self-titled debut, gained four band members, toured with The Walkmen and fellow Brooklynites Grizzly Bear and crafted a follow-up, Pigeons. The music is richer, more atmospheric and stranger than ever. This sophomore release is more collaborative than his debut, but the main aesthetic—electro-ambience buoyed by airy, dreamlike vocals—remains the same. With Temple’s sleepy voice, songs like “F.F.A.P.” and “Casual” sound like distorted bedside lullabies. Though Pigeons feels at times like the noisy, circuitous soundtrack to a yoga retreat, the frontman does just enough to keep things lively: “Old World United” and jaunty lead single “Collector” both represent a curious cross-section of Matt & Kim and Beach House. For all of Temple’s artful ambition, his catchy choruses and dance-ready beats give this album its pulse.