Temper Trap - Conditions (2009)

Review by Ben Slattery

Temper Trap Conditions Tracks 1. Love Lost 2. Rest 3. Sweet Disposition 4. Down River 5. Soldier On 6. Fader 7. Fools 8. Resurrection 9. Science Of Fear 10. Drum Song 11. Hearts

I first met Temper Trap in 2007. It was a New Years Eve party, it was hot, everyone was loaded and into it. Temper Trap played under a carport.

The Party Crowd danced, the only way to absorb the heavy breaths she heaved into the night air. Sheer sex.

Waking up the next day I looked around my room for a reason to get up. A Panadol? Maybe an old bag of chips? I found Temper Trap's phone number on a crumpled piece of paper.

I searched my head but could not place her. She had buried herself somewhere deep beneath the beer, the cigarettes and the Ecstasy. I was sure it was good.

Surely? Why else would she leave her number?

I never called.

So imagine my surprise last week when on my lunch break I bumped into Temper Trap. She was sitting outside a cafe, armed with a G&T.

Hot... I had to say something.

"Hey... Temper Trap?" I asked in my best 'cool' manner.
"Hey... Um?" She 'out vagued' me.
"Ben" I helped.
"Yeah, Ben." And so it went.

At the conclusion of our small talk she told me she had a new album out, called "Conditions", suggesting maybe I should listen to it sometime.

I spent the next two days telling my buddies about my encounter with Temper Trap. Particularly about how I might consider listening to her new album, "Conditions".

The lesson here is that good friends can justify anything.

"How bad can it be? It's just one listen - It's not like you are listening to any other albums at the moment."

Agreed.

I must admit to being a bit nervous before meeting Temper Trap for "Conditions". It's not like I could remember much of the last time we spent together.

I arrived at the restaurant perfectly on time (it is my thing). She was already there, as soon as I heard her I could tell she was more refined than I remembered.

Rolling into Love Lost and Rest we were seated, small talking and picking through the menu. The busy cafe clattered around us and I could feel both of us easing into the surrounding. A second round of drinks.

Suddenly we were deep in conversation. Was there something in the wine? She let out her Sweet Disposition and it oozed over the table. It was what I would call a 'personality explosion'.

She laid it all out, right there, the past two years. Travel. Encounters with royalty. Young. Springsteen. I could do nothing but sit opposite her. A moment, a love. A dream aloud.

As if conscious of her indulgence Temper Trap quickly bounded from the table to visit the bathroom. I must say she was gone a while. I contemplated texting friends and ordered another round of drinks.

Our food was taking a while. I mean, we were still having a good time through Down River and Soldier On even if the drop in momentum was a little noticeable. I caught myself a few times doing the "mmm I'm hungry" or the "Have you eaten here before? Oh, great!"

We awkwardly tip toed around the party from two years ago. She told me she was "different then" and I offered condescending condolence in the form of "Oh well, I guess we all were."

When our meal, Fader, arrived we both perked up very quickly. It was a very tasty dish with plenty of 'zing' and some unexpected flavour combinations. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all? Maybe we are drunk?

It was getting late but the mood was carried by Fools and Science of Fear. We had a few more wines. I wasn't sure where the night was going.

"Conditions" had been an unpredictable ride, but a good one. In a gust of drunken instinct I asked Temper Trap if she would like to join me in my home for Drum Song.

The next morning I woke up to find an empty album cover strewn across the room and two half drank beers on the bedside table. Temper Trap and I will probably never sit on a bench to watch our laundry do laps of a coin operated drier.

But maybe we can be friends. Friends with conditions.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5