Templeton Pek are only a smudge away from being an exceptionally good band. I feel they’re only missing a couple of huge choruses and they’d literally have the world at their feet. ‘No Association’ is a huge sounding record and a very good one at that, but it lacks a couple of standout songs to take it that step further. ‘Utopia’, for example, I could easily see being championed by Jo Whiley or Zane Lowe and played on mainstream radio, but there aren’t enough of those type of songs here.
‘Perfect’, ‘Full Tilt‘ and ‘Vessel’ are all great songs. They’re typical of the band really, lots of fast and furious riffs, some really good bass-lines and tip-top production. TP have always sounded good but on this record they top themselves. The album’s title track is perhaps the best example of why this record doesn’t get 4 stars or more – it builds up perfectly yet I don’t believe the chorus is as catchy or memorable as it arguably needs to be. Still, very, very good anyway and one of the best UK releases of 2008 so far.