Kettering quartet, Temples, graced the stage at the Music Hall of Williamsburg for the first of their two NYC headline shows last Tuesday night.

Walking out to a decent sized crowd of cheering fans, the foursome presented a noticeable air of coolness and charisma before a single note had even been plucked.

Singer James Bagshaw opened up with energetic album track, All Join In – aptly named as the audience sang every word from every number played back right from the get go. The setlist was packed with old and new fan favourites from their two albums, Sun Structures and Volcano. Numbers such as Certainty, I Wanna Be Your Mirror and Strange Or Be Forgotten set the perfect example of what Temples are about – they are chilled, with a vibe similar to that of Tame Impala, with injections of 80s pop and psychedelia. All the while they’re accompanied by that sense of nostalgia, perhaps why they are so adored by this New York crowd, and all are met with a huge reception.

Despite being known for their softer sound and use of synths to create a light and uplifting tone, the band incorporates heavier numbers into their set to up the energy in the room, which only heightens their popularity in the room. Songs such as Sun Structures get the crowd going with their heavy drum beats and basslines.

For a band from across the pond, Temples appear extremely comfortable playing to a foreign audience. Their performance looks effortless, and the crowd lap it up. Their stage presence is cool and calm, and they seem unfazed by the size of the audience as if they’ve played the venue a thousand times.

James Bagshaw’s soft vocals and calming manner blend well with bassist Tom Walmsley’s more energetic playing style. Rhythm guitar and keyboardist Adam Smith keeps a cool composure, while drummer Samuel Toms keeps the band in check, keeping the beat steady and incorporating a heavier sound when necessary. Prior to the set, the fans at the front are excited and giddy for the group to walk onto the stage – they have clearly made an impression on the Brooklyn music scene already.

The set is closed with an encore of A Question Isn’t Answered and Shelter Song, a track which has a Beatles-esque opening guitar riff, followed by call-and-response structured verses in which the crowd participates, loudly. With Bagshaw announcing that they’ll ‘See [them] again soon… two days in fact’, it wouldn’t be surprising if many of the same faces hit the show for their second round.

Photos: Katie Willoughby