Indie pop wonder, Alfie Templeman, is back with his self-described ‘mini-album’, and if it’s not set to be the soundtrack to your summer, then you’re doing it wrong.
Label: Chess Club Records
Released: 07/05/21
5/5
Photo credit: Blackksocks
It’s 8am, and in the way that most Friday mornings go, I’m on the student bus, embarking on a journey that usually follows after an evening filled with dread at the thought of getting up early, and getting onto a bus packed full of school children. But today, that is not the case. And it’s all thanks to Bedfordshire born teen, Alfie Templeman, and the release of his upbeat ‘mini-album.’
The album is so good that the only fault that I personally can find is the fact that it was extremely difficult to try not to sing along to the tracks, and even more of a task to not break into dance on the bus. In fact, by the time I had reached halfway through the eight-track collection, I came to the realisation that I had spent the majority of my commute taking in the good vibes, and getting lost in Alfie’s musical and colourful world – all with a smile on my face.
But that’s the thing about 18-year-old, singer-songwriter, Alfie Templeman – he never fails to put out a feel-good, upbeat, and exceptionally catchy tune, that is guaranteed to put you in a good mood, even if you are on your early morning adventure to college, surrounded by kids younger than you, who are in a state of stress over their unfinished maths homework.
And he’s done it again. ‘Forever Isn’t Long Enough’, is energetic and colourful, and will leave you craving sunshine, festivals, and an all-round good time, long after the album’s half an hour playing time is up.
‘Wait, I Lied’ is amongst one of Alfie’s most catchy tracks, with all its sass, and loose nod to funk, whereas ‘Everybody’s Gonna Love Somebody’ is more of a synth-pop bop potentially as a subtle nod to the more recent releases from indie/alternative legends, The 1975, a band whom Templeman has revealed to have inspired some of his latest work, and bares a similar beat to Tears For Fears’ classic, ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World.’
And not forgetting that Templeman is still a teenager (although, the amount of talent that he boasts across all of his carefully crafted bangers, whether that be through his production skills, or instrumentals – he can currently play ten instruments, challenging himself to learn as many as possible, and working on that goal whilst many of us were busy baking banana breads, and attending zoom call quizzes on the weekly, in lockdown – makes it hard to believe that he is still so young, and still has so much more to give and achieve), ‘Film Scene Daydream’ appears to outline a feeling that many teenagers will be able to resonate with: the soul-destructive realisation that life is, in fact, not mapped out in the same way portrayed through the cinematic masterpieces of John Hughes.
‘Forever Isn’t Long Enough’ is the perfect escapism album, offering up good vibes, and pulling all of Templeman’s influences in tighter than ever before, proving that if there is anyone that you need to be keeping a close eye on in the music scene, it’s no other than Alfie Templeman.
KATIE HILLIER
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