Album  Review: The Datsuns – Eye To Eye (Hellsound Records)

The new Datsuns album Eye To Eye is first and foremost great fun from start to finish. Seven years in the making, but it sounds seamless and fresh and it touches on many classic periods of Rock (& Roll).

Dehumanise jumps out of the starting line with some fast metal riffing straight out of the opening chords of the Stooges Search and Destroy. The vocals of Rudolph (Dolph) de Borst has the bratty snap of some of the best of the American Garage Rock bands, most particularly the Shadows of Knight. (Check out their biggest-selling version of Gloria).

With Dolph on bass are original members Christian Livingstone and Phil Somervell guitars, and second drummer Ben Cole. 

Warped Signals. Fast guitar licks and some older metal riffs Black Sabbath style.

White Noise Machine then dislocates your senses. The music is stripped back and the singer stands out. The earnest style of the early Tom Petty, and arguably more technically gifted. Think halfway between Petty and Roy Orbison. Classic American Rock’n‘Roll.

Brain to Brain. Trashy keyboards to begin. The vocals are Prog. The guitars fire off sparks of electricity. A relentless Pop momentum. Progressive Power Pop.

Moongazer comes straight from Bowie of the Ziggy Stardust to Diamond Dogs era. Inventive theatrical Pop with added layers of texture. Great vocals and the lyrics could make it a post-Space Oddity reverie. Feels right when you look to the stars/ Lost in dreams in the dark/ Out of space beyond this place.

Bite My Tongue following straight after, wrenches it back to charged riffs and all forward momentum. The Detroit sound of Nugent and Stooges. A bridge settles the attack down for a brief rest before it all comes charging back.

Suspicion is Baroque Pop with the energy of Fast Metal. Their sound is polished and honed and they resist the urge to overkill. While they stitch in a lot of elements, the music has space to allow it to shine.

Other People’s Eyes kicks the door in with an intro nicked from Edgar Winter Group’s Frankenstein. Heavy chords, sci-fi sound effects. Prog blends with Glam as the guitars bend and twist.

In Record Time is a highlight to end the album. A simple hook opens, possibly a synthesizer or treated guitar. Then bass and drums lead into the refrain automatic. Everything seems to get sucked back into its vortex. Doors-style drama, Baroque Pop and Prog. Even some Bubble Gum! They conjure up a signature sound which links back to the relatively simple opener.

There is a familiarity to the overall sound of this album. At the same time, it’s fresh and energetic. Before we called it Punk, it was Rock’n’Roll with attitude and a great sense of humour, as well as a quick finger to the prurient.

Rev Orange Peel