Robert Diament just can't convince me that he's a dangerous misanthrope, plotting world domination, bondage trysts, and petty betrayal with equal measures of grim glee and haughty apathy. Try as he might, sneering such loathsome lines as "I've got time to kill/so how about a quick fuck?," he ultimately seems dishonest in his delivery.
While it's interesting to hear his band traipsing through nearly 30 years of electro, Temposhark never focuses long enough to make a lasting impression. The track "Blame" sounds like "Not That Big," which sounds like "Little White Lie," the group's play at seediness and disaffection not quite ringing true even when bolstered by suitably sinister orchestration. "Joy" and "Knock Me Out" offer plenty of electro wackiness and cause involuntary bodily movement, even if they are ultimately disappointing. There is something alluring about the choppy minimalism of "Crime," and the vocals are handled with a keen monochromatic tension, particularly in the chorus. Unfortunately, the song is marred by a pointlessly repetitive lyric. "Invisible Ink" breathes a bit of French electronica fresh air into the mix. Overall, Temposhark falls short of adding any real substance to its fluff. If it picked which side of the line it wanted to toe, however, it might have something worthwhile on its hands.
