THE Temperance Movement don’t mess around, showing you who’s boss right from the off on White Bear, with the double whammy of straight-ahead rockers ‘Three Bulleits’ and ‘Get Yourself Free’ which clearly communicate the album’s mission statement of stomping, swaggering rock music.

Taking it’s cues from 1970s hard rock á la Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, The Temperance Movement manage to update this sound for the 21^st century. While not as overtly country-rock influenced as it’s predecessor, The Temperance Movement’s self-titled 2013 debut album, there is still a smattering of southern rock present on White Bear. This southern/classic rock area occupied by The Temperance Movement is filled with ten-a-penny, samey music for the most part, but the Temperance Movement’s uncanny song-writing ability coupled with excellent musicianship manages to set them a head above the competition. In addition to the stellar vocal and guitar work on the album, the rhythm section provides much of the aforementioned stomp, with Nick Fyffe providing the sort of bass lines you might expect from a former member of Jamiroquai.

The hard-rocking nature of the album does let up from time to time, just enough so things don’t get stale. ‘A Pleasant Peace I Feel’ retains the swagger of the first two tracks, while taking a step back and slowing things down a bit, while the anthemic title track, ‘White Bear’ is an album highlight. Alternating between slower, low key verses and a triumphant chorus, the track manages to be both subtle and soaring through this dynamic. It’s no wonder the band chose to record this as an acoustic track in the run-up to White Bear‘s release – its relatively laid-back nature lends itself to acoustic, while it’s towering hook makes it the perfect song to promote the album.

The band even tries its hand at a ballad with closing track ‘I Hope I’m Not Losing My Mind’, a contentious area within the type of rock music that The Temperance Movement inhabit. And they manage to pull it off, it’s soft, tender aesthetic expanding on the introspective sound put forth on the title track’s verses. Slowing down things this much is a fitting end to an album that is largely unrelenting in its speed.

The pacey ‘Modern Massacre’, is another highlight, taking no prisoners in its straight ahead approach. ‘Modern Massacre’ is pure, no frills rock ‘n’ roll at it’s finest, and is the best example of the band’s raw sound brought about by their approach to recording songs: three takes or less.

Unfortunately, this level of energy can’t be kept up for the full album. The album falters a little after the title track, with forgettable mid-tempo tracks like ‘Magnify’. When White Bear is good (and it is for the most part), it’s really good, but the three tracks between ‘White Bear’ and ‘I Hope I’m Not Losing My Mind’ tread familiar territory explored earlier in the album and come off as filler. Despite this misstep, however, The Temperance Movement have still released a surprisingly enjoyable rock album in a genre that is largely full of stale radio fodder.