TEMPLE. BEACH. DISCO. DADDY. — if you’re not shouting that title while half-drunk in a glitter jacket by track three, you’re doing it wrong. London’s The New Citizen Kane is back and he’s diving face-first into it with sequins on. And weirdly, it works. Most of the time.
Let’s be clear: this is a remix album. Ten reimagined tracks from The Tales of Morpheus (a solid if slightly overlooked previous release), topped off with two fresh bangers. That means it plays less like a traditional album and more like an extended DJ set for an art gallery that serves cocktails in lava lamps. And that’s not a criticism — it’s a vibe. Whether it’s your vibe? Depends how much glitter your soul can handle.
Things kick off with Forget The World, which immediately sets the tone — all lush pads, retro synth swells, and a confident swagger that says “I own every Giorgio Moroder record and I’m not afraid to use them.” It’s got that cinematic 80s flair, like the soundtrack to a neon-drenched motorbike ride. Then there’s Lump in Your Throat, which comes in heavier, moodier, still danceable but with a smudged eyeliner stare into the abyss.
By the time you get to A Love Fool, it’s clear this is the heart of the record. Funky basslines, glassy synths, an irresistible groove, and vocals that carry just enough emotional weight to stop things getting too sugary.
Not every track lands with the same sparkle. Disco Love and Buy Me A Ticket feel too sterile. For an artist clearly swimming in the glamorous sleaze of the synthwave aesthetic, there are moments where it veers dangerously into the land of ‘nice background music’. Killer Charisma sounds like it should slap — but it’s oddly subdued, lacking the punch its title promises.
Then there’s Could Have Been and Ratbag Joy, which pull things back into more interesting territory. They’re strange, off-kilter little dancefloor poems. Alchemy shines in its layering, and Endless Summer feels like it’s playing from a beach radio buried in the sand — washed-out but oddly emotional. It’s nostalgia weaponised. Electric Nights and Heartburnround things off with glossier production, but again — polish isn’t always the best choice for an album that thrives on character. When The New Citizen Kane is messy, weird, and bold, he’s brilliant. When he smooths out the edges too much, it loses some of that cheeky London swagger that makes this project interesting in the first place.
Still, TEMPLE. BEACH. DISCO. DADDY. does exactly what it says on the tin, it’s stylish, and it’s full of sparkle. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and frankly it shouldn’t be. There’s work to be done — a little more risk here, a little less perfection there — but if he keeps leaning into the madness, this disco daddy might just become a cult hero.
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