Alfie Templeman — Forever Isn’t Long Enough — Album Review
Indie | Pop | Alternative
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
I vividly remember discovering the indie singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Bedfordshire, known as Alfie Templeman, towards the end of 2019. During said time, where new music was relatively scarce, due to the fact that 2019 was coming to a close, Templeman’s debut mini album Don’t Go wasting Time clearly stood out as an interesting project.
However, while said project was indeed enjoyable, I knew that Alfie Templeman was still on his way to fully fleshing-out his signature style. This was perfectly fine at the time, but I was obviously looking forward to finding out how his style would evolve over the years.
It wouldn’t take that much longer for Templeman to follow up his debut album with the 2020 EP that was Happiness in Liquid Form. It made for a very fitting EP for its July release, thanks to its vibrant warmth, and impressed me enough to become my 7th favourite EP of that year. As well as this, Alfie Templeman’s uniqueness was beginning to push itself through the cracks.
I would say that I definitely underestimated Templeman’s productivity and creative integrity in the later half of 2020. Following on from the release of Happiness in Liquid Form, Alfie released another two singles in 2020; ones that I dismissed as tracks that didn’t quite make the cut on the previous EP. What I didn’t realise, however, was that these two singles were intended to be part of something much greater.
My awareness, and thus my hype, for Alfie Templeman’s sophomore album release, began with his first single release of 2021, “Everybody’s Gonna Love Somebody”. How this track so perfectly encapsulated the idolisation of a “summer of love”, giving listeners hope in the cold month of February, made this single more than deserving of my track of said month.
Sharing the same title as its first teaser track (which essentially slipped under my radar until the album’s full release), Forever Isn’t Long Enough is so much more that simply Templeman’s sophomore effort; It feels like a complete realisation of who the artist is aesthetically, it’s a brilliant fusion of modern accessibility and retro flair, but most importantly, it is a musical reflection of Templeman’s complete confidence, that shines brilliantly.
Intentional or not, Forever Isn’t Long Enough feels like the quintessential summer vibe album for me. From start to finish, this album is absolutely brimming with colour and warmth. And of course, the early May release date always helps.
There wasn’t a single track on this project that didn’t fill me with that summer sentimentality. And as a result, Forever Isn’t Long Enough has already begun to build its iconic value, in regards to being an album synonymous with 2021.
In terms of duration, this album has a similarly snappy runtime as Templeman’s debut album. To be precise, Forever Isn’t Long Enough barely scrapes past the 30 minute mark. But thanks to the sheer quality of all eight tracks that this album offers, I find myself being just as fulfilled as I would’ve been after a great album with a standard runtime. Considering I’m a walking distance from my new workplace, the fact that I can cram this album into the journey there, and feel as fulfilled as I do, is a true treat.
While all of the above reflects what I love about this album pretty well, what really sealed the deal for me, when it comes to this album, was how engaging the narrative and focal subject felt to me personally.
I had been struggling with the end of a good but brief relationship, and was left wishing that I appreciated it more while it lasted. I got lost in the illusion that it would last so much longer, and forgot that nothing good lasts forever. I found myself dipping in and out of trying to love myself and move on, but at the same time, I felt desperate for more clarity. All of these feeling I felt, seemed to be everything that brings Forever Isn’t Long Enough together, or at least that the impression I got from it.
I partially have this album to thank for my newfound eagerness to start a new chapter in my life, as I felt that it really put everything into perspective; this summer will hopefully be absolutely incredible, and with this album to accompany such an event, that definitely feels believable.
Alfie Templeman should be exceptionally proud of this masterpiece that he has created. A fun yet incredibly meaningful project, it absolutely baffles me that Templeman has managed to create what feels like his magnum opus at the age of 18. Alfie Templeman is a true dark horse in the indie music scene, and that is the most genuine instance of me writing that phrase.
Favourite Tracks: Forever Isn’t Long Enough | Wait, I Lied | Everybody’s Gonna Love Somebody | Film Scene Daydream | One More Day
Chess Club | AWAL Recordings
Enjoyment: 10/10 | Memorability: 10/10 | Atmosphere: 10/10
Uniqueness: 8/10 | Satisfaction: 10/10 | Narrative: 10/10
