“Temple’s songs are sophisticated and enlightening, offering a view of the Texas west that’s akin to Dave Alvin’s meditations on mid-century California. He writes with a folksinger’s eye, observing intimate, interior details of every day life, and painting big, mythological sketches…”
– Hyperbolium
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“Owen Temple takes on the job of Texas troubadour with grave intent. Where his previous disc explored the darker side of the American dream, Mountain Home focuses on small Texas towns and the eccentrics inhabiting them… One has to admire Temple’s focus on his craft, which he continues to burnish in smart and tuneful ways.”
– Austin Chronicle
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“Owen Temple sings the truth. In the narrative folk tradition, the Austin-based singer-songwriter pens tunes that tell stories in plain-spoken yet persuasive fashion. His characters could be real, and many times they are. But there’s no doubt that Temple is nourishing his muse with the realities of life around him.”
– Dallas Morning News
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“Owen Temple’s artistic impulse to get down the stories of the people in these places makes for an unpredictable and satisfying musical journey that you will not soon forget.”
– Parcbench.com
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“In Americana, calling someone the ‘new John Prine’ is shorthand for saying they’re an acoustic guitar playing singer/songwriter with a uniquely appealing voice and a bag full of smart, sometimes wryly humorous, songs with a poignant edge. ‘Desdemona’ is one of many tunes on Mountain Home that show how well Temple wears the hat.”
– Vintage Guitar
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“A chronicler of America’s darker side, Temple’s sixth studio album focuses on down-at-heel hustlers, broken farmers, corrupt politicians and general bad eggs. Behind him a crack band, including sometime Bob Dylan sideman Charlie Sexton, play a laid-back country groove as wide open as a cattle range and dusty as an unswept porch.”
– Q Magazine
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“This record is definitely enjoyable, and one everyone should give a listen. Pure music is getting hard to find, and musicians such as Temple are even more rare.”
– AmericanaRoots.com
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“On his new album, Mountain Home, Temple taps into his childhood in the West Texas Hill Country. He writes story songs that dance around their own meanings, frequently calling in catchy choruses to move the song to more general territory. But there are real stories at the heart of his songs, stories inspired by people he grew up with in the small towns. His songs are catchy, hummable, but have surprising weight thanks to the people and places he’s writing about..”
– HearthMusic.com
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“Sometimes snappy, mostly laid back, but always heartfelt and singing to the common and uncommon aspects of everyday life—and to those laying just outside”
– Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange