The Temper Trap attracted their first batch of international fans with "Sweep Disposition," a pop anthem framed by the influence of
Jeff Buckley's falsetto and
U2's guitar delay. A similar sound fuels the rest of
Conditions, which takes additional cues from the sweeping, effects-laden strains of
Bends-era
Radiohead and
Coldplay. The music itself is partially responsible for such comparisons, but the most obvious link between the Temper Trap and the bands they so avidly adore is singer Dougy Mandagi, an impassioned tenor who hoots, coos, croons, and courts melodrama with all the open-armed enthusiasm of a theater student. He's a fantastic singer and solid songwriter -- two essential qualities for a frontman who takes cues from the giants of stadium pop/rock -- and album highlights like "Sweet Disposition," "Love Lost," and "Fader" are tell-tale signs of a band that, in several years, may be capable of scaling the Joshua Tree. ~ Andrew Leahey