Album Review
The Datsuns - HeadstuntsThe Datsuns - Headstunts

"Human Error" opens the Datsuns new album in style. Thrown in at the deep end of the hart-hitting limb-flailing rock pool, your only real hope of a life ring is your own passion to go a bit mental and rock out. Luckily, I have this thirst and oh, but oh have this New Zealand quartet quenched it. Chosen as the second release off of Headstunts, it really is a fantastic track that is intense brilliance start to finish.

Although the intensity drops partially for the next track "Hey! Paranoid People," it's still fucking awesome, I won't lie.

The Datsuns were a band who came to the world's attention on a big scale while I was at school, with their debut self-titled album reaching #1 back home in NZ, and was around the same time as the Vines' rise to fame. However, whereas the Vines seem to have slowly lost the plot over the years, the Datsuns prove here with this new album that they're still on the ball, and I can only pray that these new singles can make it higher than #25, which they reached around 2002 with "In Love."

Throughout the album there are many different tones, and links to other bands in terms of sound and style. Saying that, I can't quite put my finger on who. "Ready, Set, Go!" has a sound that resembles Levellers' latest material, and other tracks draw feelings from Wolfmother and The Vines, both of which originate from near-by Australia.

Jaw-dropping riffs bleed through the album, wreaking of simplicity and the feeling of "why hasn't somebody written this before?"

Yes, the Datsuns have floated my boat. Stand-out tracks, besides the opening two, are their first single "Highschool Hoodlums," and the more relaxed "Eye Of The Needle" which eventually turns into hart-hitter. The album finishes on an epic eight-minute "Somebody Better" which is more nostalgic; not of the Datsuns' story, but of the history of rock itself. It's the kind of song your Dad might have on vinyl, with long twiddling guitar solos and the like.

5/5

Review by Thom
 Band Members

Dolf de Borst
Phil Buscke
Ben Cole
Christian Livingstone
 Track Listing
1. Human Error
2. Hey! Paranoid People! (What's In Your Head)
3. Your Bones
4. Ready, Set, Go!
5. Yeah, Yeah, Just Another Mistake'
6. Eye Of The Needle
7. So Long
8. Cruel Cruel Fate
9. Highschool Hoodlums
10. Cruel Cruel Fate
11. Cry Crybaby
12. Somebody Better
 Band Related Links
The Datsuns Myspace
The Datsuns Official Website
 Review Score Code
- Top Cheese
- Brilliant
- Pretty damn good
- Ok I guess
- What Was That?