Review : Christian Stanger
Hey, remember that brief period in the early 00’s when the new wave of rock emerged. First with The Strokes and The White Stripes, and then The Vines, The Killers and in Australia, Jet. In their own lane that was a little heavier, with a few more high-pitched wails, rode, The Datsuns who were signed while touring the UK and became an essential part of that guitar-heavy movement.
Now seven years after their last release, they are back and (thankfully) they’ve kept the guitars loud and the octane up. Opening track, ‘Dehumanise’, is sci-fi rock straight from the genre’s deep past and it takes barely 10 seconds for guitarists Phil Somervell and Christian Livingstone, to reach for their bag of solos. After another beat, vocalist Dolf de Borst bursts through with his Phil Lynott and Robert Plant inspired tones and we’re off and it’s another album straight from the top shelf of glam/classic/cock rock.
Eye To Eye is, in one word, ‘unrestrained’. Buzzing guitars, squally solos and catchy as hell vocal hooks infect every track and it barely lets up. Highlights include the Blue Oyster Cult-esque ‘White Noise Machine’, tailor-made hook-laden single ‘Brain To Brain’, slower, but no less energetic, ‘Suspicion’ and, ‘In Record Time’, the album’s explosive closer.
If you’re looking for a fun, rock album that will bring to mind the best bits of early 70s, is heavy on stellar musicianship and earth-shattering solos, give this one a spin… or a stream, as the case may be.
The Datsuns – ‘Eye to Eye’ is out May 28 via Hellsquad Records
Pre-order/ pre-save HERE : https://ffm.to/thedatsunseyetoeye
