First, some Datsuns-related housekeeping. Almost five years ago, in my review of their sophomore record, Outta Sight, Outta Mind I incorrectly identified the Datsuns as hailing from Australia (though in the archives, the article reads otherwise). They in fact call New Zealand home, and Iâve now seen enough episodes of Flight of the Conchords to know Iâve offended both nationalities dearly — or at least the Kiwi who emailed me way back when to let me know not to confuse the cultures. Mr. A________, you know who you are, and I am sorry. To that end, I also need to congratulate the band for Headstunts, their new record, one miles removed from the lunkhead rock of Outta Sight, and one of 2009âs stronger hard rock releases.
If you havenât figured it out yet, Headstunts is an anagram of âThe Datsunsâ and this wordplay neatly summarizes the band circa 2009: a little bit of rearranging — most notably, a new drummer in Ben Cole — and a cleverness that sneaks up on you. These guys still rock, and do so unapologetically, but theyâve added both power pop clarity and psychedelic haze to their arsenal. On paper, this sounds like a recipe for disaster, guaranteed to infuriate two prickly genre fanbases who like their music just so, but — surprise, surprise — they pull it off with aplomb. Iâm as shocked as you are.
As for the music itself, Headstunts breaks out of the gate with the blistering âHuman Errorâ and âHey! Paranoid People! (Whatâs In Your Head?)â, whose â60s Hammond riff should be prompting Deep Purpleâs lawyers to pick up the phone with a cease-and-desist order any day now. And theyâre so eager to rock, the fourth track is called âReady Set Go!â — itâs like the album started before they did and they can barely keep up with it. The power-poppy tracks rule Side B, especially âCruel Cruel Fateâ (with backing female vox from Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm and Heidi Brownstone), the joyously stoopid âHighschool Hoodlumsâ (âChain smokinâ! / Shit talkinâ!â) with a switchblade solo from Christian Livingstone and âPity Pity Pleaseâ. Lyrics never being the bandâs strong suit, the songs work best as a riff delivery service, and in that respect, they do not disappoint. Kudos, too, to the band for the clean, but not overly slick production: Headstunts is easily the Datsunsâ sharpest-sounding record ⊠except when it’s not.
As impressive as the results are when the band tighten up, the Datsuns’ dive into a lysergic haze deserves even more commendation. The tracks that end each side — âEye Of The Needleâ and âSomebody Betterâ, respectively — flirt with the abyss, but never fall. We knew the Datsuns loved the Stooges, but who knew they didnât skip over âWe Will Fallâ? Or, for that matter, dug the epic mysticism of Nothingâs Shocking-era Janeâs Addiction? A few active bands — Iâm thinking Outrageous Cherry and, to a lesser degree, the Warlocks — can flip the pop/psych switch with ease. Letâs add the Datsuns to the list. Hell, they should anagram âThe Datsunsâ up again and come up with a new identity just to bash out psychedelic gems. Stunted Ash, anyone?
Unabashed hard rock gets a (sometimes deserved) bad rap, but — and I promise this isnât damning with faint praise — Headstunts shows that the Datsuns are now less part of the problem than they are part of the cure.