Review Summary: This album follows on the previous albums, the spirit of these New-Zelanders is clearly in Death Rattle Boogie. They manage to keep doing great stuff while incorporating new elements like Blues or raw garage sound. Great album, worth listenning, by a band
When I first heard that band from New-Zealand, it was a moment of joy. I really liked the energy in the songs, guitar riffs transpiring youth and vigour. This band really deserves to reach glory, for their albums (they are no newbies, it is their 4th LP) as for their live shows. I saw them in Nantes (France) where I was studying, I was amazed to see that they came in that town, where I did not really know anybody. I almost forced a bunch of classmates, not rockers, to come. Some liked a lot, some did not, but as for me, I loved it.
Gods are bored : The album begins with the first single of the album. The predominant instrument here is clearly the bass, the guitarist and the abstract lyrics just seems to be supporting the work of the bassist/singer even if we clearly identify the Dastsuns' soul during the solo. That solo shows that the album has kept the spirit of the previous Datsuns' albums, always energetic with a touch of psychedelism. (4,5/5)
Gold Halo : The guitarist enters into action with this song. Alternating the voice and the complex guitar riff followed by a psychedelic solo, the tempo slows down with a duel between the bass and the drums for the guitar to come back even harder. The end of this second song promises a very vigorous album. We appreciate the mid tempo in the middle of the song though, it is not all about kicking arses. (4,5)
Axethrower : More massive, we hear the bass imitating an axe banging in rhythm. Abstract lyrics that require drugs to be understood will not ruin the pleasure of the listenning of the song which alternates calm verses and more living choruses (singing “it's alive”). The drums make an outtro, that's the only time they really seems highlighted, unfortunately. (3/5)
Bullseye : Pretty simple but catchy intro by a duo bass/drums which will dominate the whole song. The guitar is here to support the work of the leader and is only brought out by a psychedelic solo. (3,5/5)
Skill full of bone : The song begins woth a bass intro which will be played all along the verses. Smoothier, that song is particular but fits in the album just as “All Aboard” did in Smoke & Mirrors. One could think that the chorus should have deserved to follow that particularity in order for the song to be a real outsider in the album. (3/5)
Shadow looms large : This song would be a filler if it had not that drums job of quality that lacked along the album and that tone in the voice of De Borst that makes the song enjoyable to listen. Otherwise, it doesn't really brings a lot to the album. (3,5/5)
Wander the night : This song have some slow parts but the Kiwi band does not really know how to make a fully calm song. This one is really smooth and relaxing with a reverberating voice. This feeling lasts half of the song until an expected solo. The second part of the tune alternates a slow moment and a “datsunian” mid-tempo solo. (3,5/5)
Helping hands : We are almost back into an energetic part of the album. The particularity of the song is the recording of the voice which sounds like it was recorded in an old garage raw style. This fits well, it is a small song that manage to change tempo several times. (3/5)
Hole in your head : Clearly a filler, this song is appreciated for its intro but most of all by the guitar playing like the Datsuns know how to do it. Unfortunately, it would have be fully liked if it had not been way too quiet in comparison to the other instruments, bad choice but a good song anyway. (3,5/5)
Fools gold : Sometimes there are songs you don't expect to hear on an album but that fit perfectly, Fools gold is one of them. When the Datsuns inject blues into their album, it totally works. They even dare to tune the guitar differently for a solo in accordance with the style of the song that is likely to be stuck in your head. (4,5/5)
Goodbye ghosts : Surprised once, surprised twice, we stay in that bluesy style but with a little more dynamism. This one is a pretty catchy song. The piano intervenes to give the song a tone of garage rock & roll.(3,5/5)
Colour of the moon : We are obviously back into the Datsuns' area of expertise. The construction of the song is loyal to the style of the Kiwis even if the solo doesn't seem to fit very well in that mid tempo song. (3/5)
Brain tonic : The beginning of the tune announces something good. Massive and bluesy, the guitar is at its best to match with a voice which can change tone without losing an ounce of credibility. Making catchy riffs that will be stuck in your head is something that the datsuns seem to be trying to do in each song they create. When they manage to do it, it comes out that they release one of the best songs of the album. (5/5)
Death of me : The last song of the album is a filler and should have come before Brain Tonic to end the album on a good mark. It has the psychedelic guitar solo from the half to the end of the song but it doesn't really catch on and suddenly ends leaving the listenner in a silence that makes him wanting to go back to the tracks that deserve to be listenning and listenning again in order to satisfy the appetite that the album did not fully satisfied. (2,5/5)
