Review: Tempt – Tempt

Better Noise Music (August 25^th 2023)

Reviewer: Jason Hopper

Tempt have returned after an extensive period between albums. Their debut album was released way back in 2014. Being an NYC-based band, I’ve been following their career for several years now and seen them a bunch of times live in various clubs. They received some recognition over the years by winning a local contest that allowed them to open up for Bon Jovi in Madison Square Garden. Their cover of Def Leppard’s ‘Women’ caught the attention of Joe Elliott, who shared a link of their performance. It’s not often you see a local act get that type of acknowledgement from bands that are considered legends in the hard rock genre.

Suffice to say, the band is talented, but would that talent translate effectively into new material?  The answer in an emphatic YES! This album is a step up from their debut, showcasing the band’s ability to write ultra-catchy hard rock with a pop sensibility that is reminiscent of their 80s counterparts. This album has been a long time coming, but the band has been playing these songs for years live. There was video of these tunes being performed when they opened for Bon Jovi in 2018. They have had plenty of time to master the arrangements and craft these tracks for maximum impact.

The album opens with ‘Welcome Me In’ which starts with a solid riff from guitarist Harrison Marcello before he secedes the reins of the song to bassist Chris Gooden who provides a solid bass line with a slight funk edge. Harrison soon follows his lead with a choppy guitar rhythm to match before a bridge slows things down a brief moment before a powerful chorus kicks things into gear. The guitar sound and vocals here are huge and the track is one of my favorites on the album.

I’m going to cut to the chase and get to my favorite track, ‘Hideaway’. I’ve been listening to this song for years as I recorded their performance of it on my phone back in 2019. I’m shocked it has not been released as a single as of this writing. It’s one of their best songs and has the feel of a tune like Danger Danger’s ‘Bang Bang’. Pure ear candy with a catchy melody that will stick with you for days. So glad to have an official version after four years.

It seems almost pointless to review first single ‘Living Dangerous’ as it was released just over two years ago (!) but for those who have not heard it, it’s a perfect representation of the band’s sound. Tight, catchy, and dripping with melodic goodness. New to the scene rocker Dorothy sings co-lead and her and lead singer Zack Allen blend well together.

Nearly all these songs are great, so I’ll point out two more. ‘Camouflage’ utilizes some audio effects in the bridge and chorus that are very reminiscent of one of their influences, Def Leppard. Drummer Nick Burrows’ playing brings the right amount of swing to this track and makes it a standout. ‘Girl’ is another song that incorporates some funk elements and melodic sensibilities, in an effective rhythm not dissimilar from what you would hear from a band like Talisman.

While I dug almost all the songs, there was one track that did not thrill me. ‘Sneakin’ Around’ certainly has power but is constructed in a way that it has one too many drops in rhythm in the first half of the song. It starts with spacious guitar chords, vocals, and finger snaps building up to the bridge.  Just when you think it’s going to explode with a chorus, it drops back into another quieter verse, which is abrupt and awkward. It happens one more time after the chorus as well.  I will say it’s the most unique sounding track on the album and has a killer guitar solo but is just too jarring to fully enjoy.

Regarding the production, when you get such notable names like Chris Lord-Alge and Ted Jensen at the helm, you’re going to get a great sounding album. However, there’s a pop approach here that takes away a bit of an edge to the band. Perhaps it because I’ve been listening to a lot of these tracks performed live, these songs have more of an impact in a live setting than they do here. The band would have benefited from a bit more rawness to their sound. Some will surely love the glossiness of the production and perhaps those who have not seen them live won’t know what they are missing, so this is just a personal bias on my part.

I would love to know the story behind the nine-year delay of this album. I am sure the lockdowns had a component but there must be more to the story. We should be on album four with these guys.  I’m only complaining because I feel like we have been deprived of something special. We get plenty of bands from Europe with a clear understanding of how to construct quality melodic hard rock, so it’s great to see a band from New York know what it takes to write excellent rock tunes. Tempt is an album that needs to be sought out by all 80s hard rock aficionados. Let’s just hope for a shorter hiatus between albums going forward.

Tracklist:

1. Welcome Me In
2. Living Dangerous (featuring Dorothy)
3. Two Ways
4. Burn Me Down
5. Hideaway
6. Camouflage
7. Golden Tongue
8. Sneakin’ Around
9. Roses
10. Girl
11. Addicted to Touch