Album Review: Tempers – New Meaning

Tempers’ new album is a refreshing mellow artistic escape

New York City synth-pop duo Tempers has released their latest album, New Meaning. The duo consists of Jasmine Golestaneh and Eddie Cooper, and this is their third album within their discography. 

The first song, “Nightwalking,” is a disco- and dark-sounding pop song, and some elements bring to mind artists like Sarah Jaffe and St. Lucia, who share a similar art- or indie- pop/rock vibe. The song is a nostalgic take on what it is like to walk alone under a starry sky and “feel like [one is] someone.”

“Unfamiliar,” the second track on the album, is a pop-y, upbeat song that is contrasted by sad synths and lyrics, which seem to satirically lament the concept of lost trust. The lyrics read “To be true, I must be unfamiliar.”

The quiet eeriness of “Multitudes” is echoed by the lyrics of this song. The speaker says that they “want to go missing,” and the music reflects the intense and dark tone of that remark. This track is slower than the previous two songs on the album, but the ability of Tempers to convey deep emotion through their music meets all previously-formed expectations. 

For a more upbeat and happy follow-up, “In and Out of Hand” works perfectly. This track carries a lightness that none of the previous songs had. It is hopeful though sort of nostalgic, and is full of brightness and major chords. 

“It Falls Into You” brings to the album, a slightly more dance-pop-esque rhythmic element, although like with the rest of the album, the music is quite calm and mellow. 

This album is full of refreshing musical variety and is overflowing with an emotional and musical expression that comes through both the style of the music and the lyrics. The album adheres to a mood of peacefulness while expressing emotions from anger to betrayal without ever leaving that space.

Madeleine Thezan: Hi! :) My name is Madeleine Thezan, and I'm a Junior at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie. I am a Psychology major and a Music Composition minor, a songwriter and yoga lover. In my spare time I love to read, learn languages, and enjoy nature with my family and friends.
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