Datsuns, The - Head Stunts (Album)
» The Datsuns Melbourne & Sydney shows - January 23, 2008
» The Datsuns - Adelaide Uni Bar, SA - November 24, 2006
» The Datsuns - Hi-Fi, The, VIC - November 22, 2006
» The Datsuns - Zoo, The, QLD - November 19, 2006
It was with some anticipation that I put Head Stunts, the new album by The Datsuns into my CD player (nice anagram title boys) and got ready to rock.
The band headed into the studio in Sweden with a new drummer on board and did the production themselves (their last album was produced by John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin). What emerged was a collection of songs that cover a wide musical variety.
The opening track Human Error is a stomping guitar rocker with catchy harmony chorus and huge solo. Hey! Paranoid People! (What’s in Your Head?) is full of 60s inspired keyboards added to the guitars it’s reminiscent of Rocket Science at their best – fine song. Your Bones is as close to pure 1970s glam rock that you get these days. Ready Set Go! shows more 60s influence with nasal vocals and a dash of old Rolling Stones feel.
Yeah Yeah Just Another Mistake is a classic flat out Datsuns that wouldn’t be out of place on their self-titled debut. On first listen Eye of the Needle immediately brought to mind Queens of the Stone Age. The track builds from a primitive drum beat overlaid with droning psychedelic guitars and vocals and just powers up and up and up before climaxing with an amazing slide guitar solo. Almost six minutes of grandness. So Long is another guitar rocker that mines the traditional Datsuns vein.
Cruel Cruel Fate sees a psychedelic organ and guitars combination that draws the listener along for an satisfying ride. Highschool Hoodlums marches along to a glitter beat, keyboards, nice riffage and woohoo harmonies, shout along chorus and a fine burst of guitar – very cool!
Cry Crybaby – sixties inspired vocal harmonies a touch of organ is added to the guitars along with a catchy chorus. Pity Pity Please builds around a whigged out guitar lick and powers along quite nicely before busting out in a wah wah guitar solo and dissolving into a barrage of riffage.
Somebody Better showcases more psychedelic goodness, it sounds light and fresh but still possesses a certain potency in the guitar interplay. The Datsuns trademarks are all here on the album, frantic riffage, ball tearing wah wah guitar solos and Dolph’s superb vocals but there are also new elements, keyboards, some glam and psychedelic influences come to the fore. Standout tracks for mine are Hey! Paranoid People! (What’s in Your Head?), Yeah Yeah Just Another Mistake, Eye of the Needle and Somebody Better.
It’s hard to categorise Head Stunts as the song styles vary considerably but overall a fine album that shows The Datsuns continuing to flex their rock muscles but also exploring different (and exciting) musical dimensions.
