Off stage, local bandleader Brett Rosenberg’s fresh, unassuming countenance makes him look younger than his 24 years. But there was nothing unsteady or uncertain about the big guitar sounds pumping from Rosenberg and his mates as they tore through a dozen or so songs to celebrate the release of the Brett Rosenberg Problem’s new Problematic (Sodapop/Q Division) Saturday at the Abbey Lounge. The disc, a blend of melodic garage rock, builds on the strengths of last year’s Destroyer (Q Division), favoring heavy guitar riffs, wry lyrics, and a playfully aggressive approach to romantic missteps and long nights on the town. Problematic plays down Rosenberg’s sensitive singer-songwriter tendencies in favor of a harder-rocking band-based approach, and the show was no exception.

Augmented by a guitarist borrowed from the local band the Halogens, the Problem delivered their revved-up material in short, bittersweet, two- and three-minute blasts. The new " Rim of a Bottle " benefitted from the tension created by a driving bass line and a choppy guitar riff playing against each other, with Rosenberg adopting classic-rock guitarist stances as he jumped back toward the drums for each guitar solo. A heavy " Destroyer " followed, its tempo racing almost out of control, but the band managed to catch their breath and bring it to a comical close. The new songs were uniformly heavier in concert than on the disc, " Are You with Me? " and " I Lied " taking on brasher guitar sounds and giving Rosenberg a chance to indulge in some delightfully off-the-cuff sloppy playing that brought to mind the Faces of old. " Kelly Haas All Over Again " and " I Still Know You Better, " two older songs, were played with a new sense of urgency, as Rosenberg clenched his fist and shut his eyes, screaming the lyrics before darting back to flash a triumphant grin to bassist Geoff Van Duyne and drummer Jason Sloan.

The band also showed some versatility on the lighter " Everybody’s Seeing My Baby, " which serves up a melodic bass line and a casual, breezy chorus before building to a harder-hitting guitar solo. " Saved by the Bell, " which has all the big-riff makings of a ’70s guitar anthem, closed out the set before they returned for some extended jamming and a Rosenberg singer-songwriter solo spot. His moody cover of Big Star’s " Thirteen " was nice, but it was the raucous, gritty rock that stamped the Problem as one of the best up-and-coming garage bands in Boston.