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The Temperance Movement - Blues Rock for the Modern Age
Indie | Monday 30th September 2013 | Alex
It would that seem that blues rock’s stock is well and truly on the rise in recent years. With the explosions of the Black Keys and Jack White’s solo material, everyone’s on the bandwagon - but these guys are going a touch more balls out than Jack or the Brothers Auerbach.
The Temperance Movement have picked up the reins from where John Fogarty laid them down and, promptly, whipped the shit out of the horse they were attached to. What’s great about these guys is that they don’t try to re-invent the genre; rather, they are a hugely effective homage band to the hard/blues rock that bands like Zep and Creedence produced. They say themselves that they are “massive fans” of Jack White and The Black Keys. And so the blues rock revival continues…
Phil Campbell’s voice has the growl and grainy quality that still makes Fogarty’s stand out, while the guitarist combination of Luke Potashnick - who it seems is the product of some twisted genetic engineering combining Russell Brand and Seann Walsh - and Paul Sayer, have a great feel for when to operate (as everyone wished Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard would have at the 2006 World Cup). One sits, one goes, simple enough, boys.
If we look at a track like ‘Ain’t No Telling’ we see Campbell’s voice at a harsh growl while the instrumentalists exhibit exactly how a band should function. The rhythm section keeps everything ticking along with a foot-tapping, head-nodding confidence. This element is comprised of the Aussie-born drummer, Damon Wilson, and Nick Fyffe, who used to play in Jamiroquai but seems to have brought his former frontman’s penchant for outlandish hats with him. Putting the hat thing to one side, it has endeared them to me so much more; in much the same way as the guitarists understand their role, the rhythm section is clearly experienced enough to lay down the platform for the front stage crowd to take the plaudits. But they still operate well - really well.
If you think these guys are worth checking out, the ‘Pride’ EP is a good place to start and you can find this below. It came out on September, 6th, and all five tracks feature on their self-titled LP. They’re also playing at KOKO on November, 17th, for the princely sum of £11. This should rank as a high priority for anyone fond of live Rock & Roll.
Alex Taylor.
https://www.facebook.com/TheTemperanceMovement?fref=ts
