The Peep Tempel (Self-titled)

GIVEN the considerable success of two-piece garage rock acts such the White Stripes and, more recently, the Black Keys, the formation of Melbourne duo the Peep Tempel in 2009 makes a lot of sense.

The Peep Tempel

GIVEN the considerable success of two-piece garage rock acts such the White Stripes and, more recently, the Black Keys, the formation of Melbourne duo the Peep Tempel in 2009 makes a lot of sense.

The addition of a bassist for their debut album certainly won't hurt their chances, though, as what the three achieve here is incredible: they manage to make bare-bones rock and roll sound fresh and exciting.

The Peep Tempel is a dark, invigorating set of songs that demand to be played front to back, repeatedly. The style swings between breakneck rockers (Lance, Collusion) and the slow, foreboding lurch of Mission Floyd and Do What You Want. Each of the 10 songs imparts a sense of urgency in the listener.

It takes considerable skill to operate within such strict confines - the classic configuration of guitar, bass, drums and vocals - and still conjure up memorable musical and vocal hooks. There isn't a single moment on The Peep Tempel (the name comes from a strip club in an Inspector Rex episode) that sounds played-out or predictable.

It's hard to know how much of the narrative, which includes tales of unemployment and police brutality, is based on the band's inner-city west Melbourne existence and how much is fiction. One thing is certain: this debut is very near to rock and roll perfection.

LABEL: Wing Sing Records
RATING: 4 ½ stars