Reviews: The Temperance Movement, Bobbie Dazzle, Admiral Sir Cloudselley Shovell, Twin Temple (Matt Bladen)

The Temperance Movement - New Promise Land Incorporated (Earache Records)

I'll be honest, I didn't think this would ever happen. It seemed that after 2018's A Deeper Cut, all did not seem well in The Temperance Movement, they had fallen off the wagon if you will, and the hiatus they went in after that record just seemed to get longer and longer.

However in 2025, they returned, taking to the stage once again for a round of sold out shows including O2 Forum Kentish Town. Since then they've stormed festivals such as Steel house and beyond, the rebirth of The Temperance Movement now a fully realised as they easily slipped back into that well worn retro rock n roll groove they established back in the 2010's.

The Temperance Movement were one of the band that quickly transcended that NWOCR from the period, their rootsy, honest, blue collar R&B, appealing to a wider audience than just rockers, it's for anyone that grew up with The Stones and The Faces, to modern acts such as The Black Crowes, the band play music that has blues and soul at its core, Phil Campbell's rough and honeyed vocals, aching with emotion.

They were celebrated, loved and looked like they were going to take over the world and the cracks started to show and then enough was enough, but with a break comes a refocus, bygones are bygones and The Temperance Movement are now back with fourth album New Promise Land Incorporated.

From the shuffling Shadows, we're shaking with some Zep, the belly of the blues burns hit in Eat You Alive, Silverlight Blues, Always Been Love, set against these hip shaking rockers are moments of fragility and sentiment on Mongrels and Hometown Kings & Queens. Love Kicks bounces like Dr Feelgood, Saving Grace strips everything back to just to acoustics, electric piano and vocals beautifully.

A record to return to their roots, literally, recording it live in the studio with the their producer Ethan Johns, this is what it sounds like to be in the studio with The Temperance Movement, recorded live-to-tape, there's no place to hide, but the band thrive in the live arena and from the opening moments there's a synergy that is almost as if they've never been away.

Raw, rowdy, rough and ready, The Temperance Movement return to the business of rock n roll. 9/10

Bobbie Dazzle - Star Power (Rise Above Records)

Arriving from some long forgotten Star system where it's always the 1970's, Bobbie Dazzle arrived in 2024 with the answer to the question "What would an album from The Sweet and Jethro Tull sound like?" The answer was Fandabidozi, a catsuit clad, glam rock record from an alternate 1974.

Bobbie Dazzle, is the alter ego of Siân Greenaway, vocalist and flute player who has embraced her solo project in the same way as Bowie or Alice Cooper would, embodying it totally, in fact Bobbie opened for Alice on his most recent tour, Ozzy's passing on the first day hitting everyone hard but bringing the touring partners closer, mourning the loss of a West Country hero (Dazzle) and an iconic peer (Cooper).

It's this dedication to rock n roll that had her push through a diagnosis and extremely difficult fight with endometriosis that left her wheelchair bound but she embraced her disability and is now an advocate for it pushing through to deliver her exuberant stage performance that's been captured across her debut and this follow up.

While Fandabidozi was an introduction to Bobbie Dazzle, Star Power is a follow up that defines her, still featuring huge glam rockers inspired by Sweet, ELO, Alice Cooper and The Spiders From Mars, it's also got a bit more hard grit to it than album one and a wider range of sounds coming through such as moments of Queen and plenty of prog with Wonder putting Kansas together with Muse, while elsewhere there's Styx and Rush (Take To The Streets)

Written with keyboardist Chris Dando, who is integral to these songs with the keys/syths and harmony vocals which are just perfect on the choruses of tracks such as Planets Collide. The duo are joined by guitarist Ash Baker, bassist Leon Smith, while Lita Ford gives a killer solo to Feel It To and Snakes And Ladders features and was co-wroteen by Gareth McGrillen Of Pendulum..

However it's the powerhouse vocals, parps of flute, bold rock rhythmns and extremely contagious catchiness of this record that will bring you back for more, Bobbie Dazzle is about making happy music, music built for escapism, to take you away to another place when things get hard, knowing you will always have music.

An alter-ego for its creator and another world of retro goodies for its listeners, there's some serious Star Power here on Bobbie Dazzle album two. 8/10

Admiral Sir Cloudselley Shovell - The Trouble With The Shovell (Rise Above Records)

The Admiral is gonna get dirty again on what is their fifth album and The Trouble With The Shovell is that if you come here expecting a modern take on retro rock then, I'm afraid you're all out of luck but if bell bottoms, sideburns and some audio filth are your thing then welcome to the booze-soaked world of Admiral Sir Cloudselley Shovell.

Have been slinging dirt since 2008, it's been seven years since their last record, Uncertain Times, the band going through a lot of personals stuff and junk but the calling is always there and they return with new drummer Glenn Stebbings joining vocalist/guitarist Johnny Gorilla and bassist Louis Comfort-Wiggett as the newest incarnation of these pub rock rebels.

Self described as "spunk rock" The Shovell always hit on that amalgamation of 70's and early 80's rock, as the influences come from Status Quo, Budgie, Man, The Groundhogs and any band that didn't care for being cool or hip. They and Shovell are content just jamming to blues based psych rock, that has the distortion pedal cranked up for maximum volume, fit for a brawl at your local after too many pints of brown ale.

It's not big or clever, The Admiral aren't in it for fame or fortune (though that would be nice right?) they want to play, on stage, in the studio, your local, your nans house, anywhere they can rattle the walls, drink a shed load and grab a kebab afterwards, and to be honest that's there biggest appeal. The Trouble With The Shovell is that their hairy, grease rockers that want to have a good time and play music and their ain't nothing wrong with that! 8/10

Twin Temple - Doomed Lovers (Pentagrammaton Records)

You have to think how much life you're going to get out of 'Satanic Doo-Wop', it feels as if this ode to old Hollywood glamour, the occult and 50's rock n roll, wouldn't last past being curio for a few years, but it seems Alexandra and Zachary James are dedicated to riding this hearse until the wheels fall off.

Both openly identify as Satanists so they they add some street cred to their celebration of the dark lord, which is often lacking in other bands that praise Lucifer and all his works but for Twin Temple they never go outright and shout about it, it's all about smile and mirrors alluding too it through innuendo and their campy, vampy stage personas.

It's odd then why there would be an uproar from country musician Charley Crockett, who through them off his tour as their image didn't quite fit with his conservative Christian following but hey, all publicity is good publicity right? Anyway it seems at least one of country musics most recognised names is on board, because Shooter Jennings produced this sophomore record, on analogue equipment at his Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, the guitar, drums and vocals given grandeur by the 37-piece orchestra.

With the orchestra in place, the songs on Doomed Lovers sounds like a soundtrack to a film driven by occult lust, undying love, spectral obsession and ultimately the devotion of the central couple to each other. Be it doo-wop, country, big band or any other pre-The Beatles popular music, Twin Temple serve up another retro treat that isn't revolutionary but doesn't feel like an end just yet. 7/10