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[ROCK] The concept is that by forcing yourself not to think about something, you will think of little else. It’s referred to in psych circles as White Bear Syndrome, coined by Professor Daniel Wegner in his book White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts, but Wegner got the idea from a Tolstoy short story. It shares idealism with the pink elephant in the room, the thing we’re all trying not to talk about that’s standing before us, larger than life.

U.K. five piece The Temperance Movement thought White Bear was the perfect title for their sophomore album, finally out in the states in July on Concord after a six-month import-only status.

“As we were making the album, the idea of it being this thing you’re trying not to think about but also can’t help but think about kept coming up,” guitarist Paul Sayer explained, calling from overseas. “When it comes to the second record, a lot of times you’re on the road and you’re trying to concentrate on putting on solid shows, but you do feel pressure about it. The people around you, management, the record label—they’re all waiting for it, but they don’t want to push you. It’s on your mind, but you don’t want to talk about it… even though it’s the one thing that everybody’s definitely concerned with.”

The Temperance Movement, which has no affiliation to the anti-alcohol campaign of the same name that emerged during the American Revolution, took a different approach to White Bear than they had with their self titled debut, going in for a more polished sound while striving to preserve their edgy live aesthetic.

“On the first record, we wanted to make a definitive statement about what sort of a band we are, and I think we succeeded,” Sayer said. “So this time, while keeping that essence, we allowed ourselves to get more involved in the sonics of it. The first one was done in four days, this one took ten. It’s still fast, but more than twice as long. What we want to be is constantly evolving and changing—we’re not the types to think we’ve found some magical sound we’re just going to stick with. At the heart of boredom is repetition, and it’s hard to be passionate about that, whereas if you’re always creating something different, it’s much easier to get excited. But I hope we will always hold onto the foundation of tracking as a live band in the studio.”

Even with the added polish, White Bear is a far cry from most of what’s ruling the airwaves these days. The Temperance Movement’s signature raw, bluesy rock steeped in country-gospel recalls Humble Pie crossed with the Black Crowes—old school with modern AOR flourishes. Powerhouse front man Phil Campbell’s gritty howl oozes both menace and tenderness with equal authenticity, creating an undeniably charismatic centerpiece. It’s a movement worth following.

Sayer says they liked the idea of naming themselves as a movement—originally an off-handed suggestion—since it implies something with force and direction that eclipses the band itself and refers to a larger body politic. But, perhaps there’s also a reclamation going on.

“People like us have always been there, through every period of music-making,” Sayer said. “The difference now isn’t that there are more or less talented people in the world, it’s that the industry around us isn’t supporting that talent and a massive chunk of society doesn’t care enough to search it out. There are two ways to go with that. You can expel a lot of energy complaining and questioning, or you can funnel it into whatever you’re creating at the moment. I’d rather spend my time making music that reaches enough people to remain sustainable. The state of the industry drives me crazy, but I don’t have the wherewithal to be creative and campaign about it at the same time. Plus, there are people out there screaming as loudly as they can about it and getting nowhere.” The Temperance Movement comes to the Town Ballroom on Wednesday, September 7 as support for the New Orleans-based roots rock band, The Revivalists.

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