Datsuns, The – The Datsuns
In various reviews across the web, I’ve seen The Datsuns compared to The Strokes, The Vines, and The Hives. Personally, I think that’s The Crap.
The Datsuns blow them all away.
Hot off their award for “Best Live Band” by NME comes the Datsun’s self-titled, major label debut disc. Hailing from New Zealand, the quartet blaze forward with a rocking intensity not heard in a while. Obviously, someone forgot to tell the Datsuns that good ol’ rock was dead.
Upon first listen, I could see where comparisons between the Datsuns and those other “The” bands came from. The difference here is, while those other guys (ie: The White Stripes) are following up their rockin’ singles with lighter, softer tunes, the Datsuns are here to keep on rockin’ straight through the night.
“Sittin’ Pretty,” the disc’s opener, launches with a catchy scale-based riff, introducing listeners to the band’s sound. Fans of fuzz, cheap mics and Mashall stacks will be in heaven. Track two moves on to a song dedicated to lost love. “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Anymore?” Hardly. Try, “Mother Fucker from Hell,” which is also the song’s chorus. “There’s a girl running around my head/I know she makes me frown/She may be crazy, she maybe not be right/She makes me feel like/Like a motherfucker from hell!” The guitar riff manages to best the opener’s, making this song even catchier than the first!
And so goes the album. Each song is basic rock n’ roll, consisting of good riffs, catchy choruses, and layers of distortion. I’d say it wasn’t rocket science, but the explosiveness comes damn close. But there’s no smoke to be found here. The Datsuns are what they are — straight forward, kick ass rock and roll.
By the time “Freeze Sucker” comes around (“Hey, baby, now what she said/freeze sucker, you move and you’re dead”) the party feels like it’s ended much too quickly. All ten tracks on the CD have the same basic sound, but the riffs and song structures themselves keep each track sounding original.
Whether chasing down bad guys in your ’72 Gran Turino, getting people off their asses at your next party, or just playing air guitar in the bathroom mirror, the Datsuns have written the perfect soundtrack for you.
Tracks:
01. Sitting Pretty
02. MF From Hell
03. Lady
04. Harmonic Generator
05. What Would I Know
06. At Your Touch
07. Fink For The Man
08. In Love
09. Your Build Me Up
10. Freeze Sucker