Fingerprints Music

Reviews:

At the start of the Datsuns' sophomore album, singer-bassist Dolf Datsun urges us, repeatedly, to "smile." That's not hard to do as we roll through these 12 wide-ranging rock tracks. Even more so than its self-titled 2002 predecessor, Outta Sight/Outta Mind establishes the New Zealand quartet as more than just another garage-minded "the" band; recorded in London and produced with propulsive muscle by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, the album goes beyond the attitude and finds some variety in the band's seriously loud and crunchy attack. "Messin' Around," for instance, is a slice of boogie fever (and we don't mean disco) accented by Dolf's primal howls. "What I've Lost" glides with a poppy bounce, while a downright bluesy riff drives "I Got No Words." That doesn't mean the Datsuns have completely abandoned the garage; the punky dynamics of "Blacken My Thumb," "You Can't Find Me," "Cherry Lane" and the old school nugget "Girls Best Friend" attest to the Datsuns' devotion to the sound that brought 'em here. Outta Sight/Outta Mind also weighs in with two bona fide classics: "Hong Kong Fury," a stomping road story, and "Don't Come Knocking," a riff rocker fortified by the formidable dual attack of guitarists Christian and Phil Datsun. The nuevo garage trend has certainly helped win the Datsuns an audience, but Outta Sight/Outta Mind proves the group can succeed beyond the parameters of a stifling genre label. "At the start of the Datsuns' sophomore album, singer-bassist Dolf Datsun urges us, repeatedly, to ""smile."" That's not hard to do as we roll through these 12 wide-ranging rock tracks. Even more so than its self-titled 2002 predecessor, Outta Sight/Outta Mind establishes the New Zealand quartet as more than just another garage-minded ""the"" band; recorded in London and produced with propulsive muscle by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, the album goes beyond the attitude and finds some variety in the band's seriously loud and crunchy attack. ""Messin' Around,"" for instance, is a slice of boogie fever (and we don't mean disco) accented by Dolf's primal howls. ""What I've Lost"" glides with a poppy bounce, while a downright bluesy riff drives ""I Got No Words."" That doesn't mean the Datsuns have completely abandoned the garage; the punky dynamics of ""Blacken My Thumb,"" ""You Can't Find Me,"" ""Cherry Lane"" and the old school nugget ""Girls Best Friend"" attest to the Datsuns' devotion to the sound that brought 'em here. Outta Sight/Outta Mind also weighs in with two bona fide classics: ""Hong Kong Fury,"" a stomping road story, and ""Don't Come Knocking,"" a riff rocker fortified by the formidable dual attack of guitarists Christian and Phil Datsun. The nuevo garage trend has certainly helped win the Datsuns an audience, but Outta Sight/Outta Mind proves the group can succeed beyond the parameters of a stifling genre label."