Templeton
It's a Beautiful Lie (2003)

Review by: Craig Curtice
Date: 12/1/03

Without precious label support or more importantly money, Templeton – a struggling outfit from Columbus, Ohio – is a band barely alive. Mostly dormant since 1999’s well-received debut Trash to Treasure, Templeton sprung personnel leaks, and it didn’t help when lead singer/guitarist Christian Hurd accepted a role playing bass in the mighty Howlin’ Maggie for a couple of years.

Now older and wiser, this is Templeton’s second at-bat with Hurd’s new line-up, and though he doesn’t knock it out of the park, It’s a Beautiful Lie is most definitely in play. There’s no reason that the adorable little pop gem “The Anybody Benefit” or the simple punk rocker “Way” shouldn’t receive some serious college airplay. Somewhere.

Hurd, who looks a lot like a Dana Carvey passing as Nick Cave, sings with an affable tonal drone capable of both soothing bellows and heavy guttural screams. Musically it’s alt-rock, but wait, before you look away in disgust, it’s actually good alt-rock.

“Shangri-La (Parts 1 and 2)” conjures a Josh Homme-Desert Sessions groove, “Hail the Fucking Chief” is a slow burner that Joe Walsh could’ve done recorded in the late 70’s, and “Suspect” flies through friendly Foo Fighter airspace. The controlled sloppiness of “Useful,” the lurching “Impatient Monkeys,” and the delicate closer “Lullaby for Li Li” add to an overall impressive effort.

So is Templeton any closer to quitting their day jobs? Maybe. Think Homer Simpson is any closer to owning the Dallas Cowboys? Hardly. With all apologies to Al Franken – doggonit, Templeton is good enough, they’re smart enough, and people should like them. They don’t need to be worshiped – they just need a paycheck.