★★★☆☆
The Temperance Movement are what one might call a mishmash band, made up of members from a number of countries who played in previous bands that spanned a wide range of genres.
The end result is a blues rock sound that first hit our ears back in 2011.
Their second album White Bear is a strong offering of lead singer Phil Campbell’s gravelly vocals, backed up by some solid guitar hooks.
For the untrained ear, the album’s contents feel as though they bleed into one another, but this is an offering that loyal fans will be happy with nonetheless.
Towards the end of the album, the band proves that it can stray away from the well-practised recipe of blues rock, toning things down for album closer ‘I Hope I’m Not Losing My Mind’ in what is almost a welcome reprieve for the ears.
White Bear sounds like a B&S ball on record: there’s a sense of excitement, and you can almost see a ute’s load worth of blokes wearing blueys and sinking Bundy rums, but you’re still not quite sure what to expect.
