Templeton Pek – Signs

Review by Ian Savage

Templeton Pek have come a long way in their four year existence. Since forming in Birmingham in 2009, they’ve had support shows with Funeral For A Friend, Rise Against and Bad Religion (to name but a few) and slots on the Give It A Name and Taste of Chaos tours in between recording four albums and EPs; in the band’s view, though, everything has been leading up to Signs. They’re certainly at their zenith so far in production terms – recorded in New York by Four Year Strong desk wizard Shep Goodman, this album sports a slick, muscular feel somewhat lacking in Pek’s previous recorded output. For better or worse, this is the commercial face of melodic hardcore.

Opener ‘Who We Are’ sets up a crushing guitar/bass/drums mix from the outset, before it moves aside for a slightly overbearing verse vocal; this leads up to a nicely soaring chorus though, with rabble-rousing lyrics seemingly better suited to a US hardcore band than one from deepest darkest Brum. Given a few listens the sentiment holds water even once one’s tongue is removed from cheek – the Placebo-esque intro to ‘Trial & Error’ heralds a similar lyrical tone over a harder-edged backing, which is continued pretty much throughout.

From orchestral augmentation (‘What Are You Waiting For’) through more anthemic choruses with more than a nod to Lost Prophets (‘Wake Me Up’ – the lead single from the album, as well as being the band’s first co-write) to the tasty modern production tweaks on ‘Alive (Promise Is Safety)’, ‘Signs’ displays promising eclecticism whilst simultaneously never really offering anything new. A solid offering, for sure, but one that could at first listen be by any number of bands. Definitely worth picking up if you’re already a fan, and worth a listen for any fan of modern commercial punk/hardcore, just don’t expect any new ground to be broken.

7 out of 10

• Templeton Pek’s website 

Track listing:

1. Who We Are
2. Trial And Error
3. Barriers
4. Difference
5. What Are You Waiting For
6. Left To Fade
7. Wake Me Up
8. Signs
9. Alive (Promise Is Safety)
10. Echoes
11. Slow Burn