TEMPERS - Delusion

With "Delusion", the New York project (now orphaned of Eddie Cooper and firmly in the hands of Jasmine Golestaneh alone) takes a further step in the transformation process that has shaped its sound for over a decade. The album unfolds as a borderland where crepuscular synth-pop, darkwave undertones and distinctly pop melodies dissolve into a dreamlike landscape. The involvement of producer Jorge Elbrecht (here also partly a composer and arranger) helps make the sound more layered, with broad synthesizers coexisting alongside evanescent guitars.

The album opens with the feverish tension of "Sublevel", an introduction that seems to throw open the doors onto a gothic universe. From here on, "Delusion" unfolds as a journey through unstable identities and distorted desires: the nocturnal pulse of "Who Says" flirts with a dark, hypnotic disco, while "Fail Better" (inspired by the famous Samuel Beckett line) turns failure into an emotional spiral where repetition and healing intertwine.

Elsewhere, as in the visionary "Deep Fake Heaven" or the fragile "My River", Golestaneh's writing moves between surreal imagery and more intimate reflections.

The album's title is no accident: in Buddhist philosophy, delusion is one of the poisons of consciousness, a perceptual distortion capable of turning imagination into a dangerous mirage. "Delusion" seems to spring precisely from this point of tension, where desire blurs into self-loss and beauty becomes something ambiguous and unstable. The result is a work that appears rich and hypnotic on the surface, but prefers to pile up images and textures rather than take risks. In this space suspended between electronic dream and romantic unease, Tempers builds a chapter only partly more complex than its previous releases (think of the dignified but unoriginal "New Meaning").

Elbrecht's production is flawless: everything sounds good, clean, balanced. But that's exactly the problem, because "Delusion" is a record that never truly dares. The strings are cinematic, the synths are enveloping, Golestaneh's voice is warm and assured. Yet by the end of each song, you're left with the feeling of having heard something solid but perfectly forgettable. What's missing are those cracks worth exploring, that one detail that lingers under the skin.

In an increasingly crowded synth-pop landscape, the album stands out for its elegance but gets lost for lack of incisiveness. Pleasant, sophisticated, well-crafted for those seeking atmosphere and refinement. However, anyone looking for a raw emotion, a risk, or a captivating imperfection won't find it here.

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30/04/2026