Album, Single and EP Reviews


 

 

  More For The Masses by Peoples Temple


More For The Masses cover art

Artist: Peoples Temple
Title: More For The Masses
Catalogue Number: Hozac HZR-122
Review Format: LP
Release Year: 2012



Mind melding once more with the past, Michigan band Peoples Temple follow up their ”Sons of Stone” album with “More For The Masses” and, in the process, cleverly leverage the mundane into a reverential modern day fashion statement.

There are, admittedly, few surprises to be found on this album with all the expected  musical influences from both the US and the USA spread over the songs like peanut butter and jelly. You get that British sixties r ’n’ b feel in “Texas Revisited” and  the equally energetic “Looters Game” – also a single as I recall - is pure adrenaline fuelled tripped up on melody west coast garage rock. There’s even a recited oddity called “House of Fools” that is as much the Doors as it is Vivian Stanshall.

Perhaps that is the unique selling point of a band like Peoples Temple and why they deserve psychotropic investigation. They go from near pastiche of their musical influences to being the epitome of the DIY lo-fi sound so beloved of American bands on the Hozac label. Honesty, as they say, is the best policy and Peoples Temple are nothing if not an honest and unpretentious band.
 
Talking of sound quality, I’ll be polite and call the sound quality of this vinyl release variable although the pressing quality was good (and the review copy was on translucent gold vinyl, which is nice).


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Reviewer:
Review Date: February 4 2013