Writer's Moment:
In the true spirit of rock n' roll, I'm breaking the rules today; at least the ones I set for myself anyway. Normally on the Throwback Thursday posts what qualifies an album to be written up is that it has to be at least 10 years old. However, I'm going to break that rule today (and might every once in a blue moon in the future) because I thought enough of this album to give it a review despite the fact it's only four years old.
And now back to our regularly scheduled program.
A lot of people these days say that rock n' roll is dead *cough cough Gene Simmons cough*. These people feel there is no great up and coming talent to carry the torch when the very last of the great original rock stars pass on to the great gig in the sky. I on the other hand beg to differ. All you have to do is actually dig in and look for it in places besides commercial radio. That said, a prime example of a band that has a real fire and passion in their souls is The Temperance Movement, an English bluesy hard rock band who in 2013 put out one hell of a debut album that was also called The Temperance Movement.
The Temperance Movement has almost everything anyone could ever want in a hard rock album: tasty riffs, bluesy soul, raw integrity, and above all else a down to Earth good time with songs that still have a respectable level of honesty to them. There is this driving, lighthearted energy to all of the songs that I honestly haven't felt in a long time, except maybe from Rival Sons and even then it's still a different kind of vibe. Some songs are pedal to the metal, some bouncy, some party vibing, and some that are slowed down ballads. Either way, they put their all into every last track.
Take It Back is the tune that really drew me to The Temperance Movement in the first place. From the moment the track comes on until that last chord gets struck it feels like you're partying with the band on stage at a concert. That powerful soulful grit on Phil Campbell's voice really gives the tune the edge it needs. It's already a loud and proud rock n' roll tune, but some times you need that extra special something to make a song really stand out the way it should.
Know For Sure like many of the tunes on The Temperance Movement really reminds me of early Whitesnake. It's definitely got some bounce to the rhythm and the slide guitar is really reminiscent of Micky Moody's playing in some ways. However, they definitely take this kind of music and do their own thing with it. This is one you can get up and dance to or just sit back and groove with as you bob your head back and forth. The solos are a lot of fun to listen to as well. They don't try to just sound like stereotypical classic rock solos. It's some sexy slide playing where at some moments both guitarists harmonize with one another. It's a beautiful thing.
The Temperance Movement is definitely the kind of rock n' roll record that we need to see more of from more bands these days. It's a lot of fun from start to finish. The only thing that I personally feel holds it back a bit is there are just a couple too many soft slow songs. I don't have anything against them, but when there are too many it kind of messes with the flow and vibe of a rock n' roll record. Otherwise from start to finish this album is chocked full of a bunch of great songs that could be new classics if they actually got proper airplay.
The Temperance Movement, by The Temperance Movement receives 4 out of 5 stars.
Track List:
1. Only Friend
2. Ain't No Friend
3. Pride
4. Be Lucky
5. Midnight Black
6. Chinese Lanterns
7. Know For Sure
8. Morning Riders
9. Lovers and Fighters
10. Take It Back
11. Smouldering
12. Serenity
Buy the album on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Temperance-Movement/dp/B00Q3UBE38/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485505467&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Temperance+Movement
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