Perhaps best known for their 2008 song ‘Sweet Disposition', memorably featured in 500 Days of Summer, The Temper Trap have been indie rock darlings since the release of their first album ‘Conditions’. In recent years, the band have performed on occasion, but most of their time has been spent on personal projects and time with family. Now it's been a decade since their last studio album, ‘Thick as Thieves’, making ‘Sungazer’ a highly anticipated return, and for good reason.
Before its release, The Temper Trap built anticipation by releasing six of the album’s 11 tracks as singles, the first of which was the opener. ‘Sungazer’ starts off fast and strong with ‘Lucky Dimes’, which had been released earlier in 2025, making it the band’s first single in nine years. This was the release that reminded casual fans of their existence, and for hardcore fans who had waited patiently for a new original release, it served as proof of life. It sets the tone by establishing a feeling of being pulled in multiple directions with lyrics like “Someone told you go left / Told you go right / But no one ever knows / Just how they want it”.
The next track, ‘Into The Wild’, follows with the same feeling of intimacy, but highlights lead singer Dougy Mandagi’s unique vocals rather than the band’s distinctive bass. When speaking about the song, the band declared that “after years of being apart and trying to find our groove again, ‘Into the Wild’ was the spark that lit the fire." It's this inspiration that translates so perfectly, creating the same anthemic experience as their original hit ‘Sweet Disposition’.
Later on, the title track ‘Sungazer’is perhaps the highlight of the record. It slows things down with an almost heavenly intro. It’s situated perfectly as a moment to breathe in the album’s centre alongside ‘Lifeline', which transitions from the group’s typical rock to a sound bordering hip-hop.
Everything culminates in ‘Kuru’, encapsulating the feeling of suffocating isolation. Trading in the bass for a more acoustic sound, Mandagi repeatedly asks “Is anyone there? / Can anyone hear me?” in the chorus. It’s by far the album’s most heartfelt track, with monotone vocals and introspective lyrics reminiscent of Radiohead’s ‘No Surprises’. By the outro, he finally reaches a resolution: “Hope is gone / We must be on our own / Here I come”.
While the album remains true to the group’s original sound, you can hear how the time spent on break has resulted in a more authentic presence. Coming in at roughly 45 minutes long, ‘Sungazer’ is a concise and well-articulated return to the spotlight. It’s exactly how you would expect a band like The Temper Trap to come out of hiatus. The band has clearly evolved without losing sight of their roots.
In addition to their festival performances earlier in the summer, The Temper Trap will also be supporting Muse on The Wow! Signal tour.
Catherine Murphy
Image: ‘Sungazer’ Official Album Cover