(Sony)

Aussie rock’s elder statesmen refuse to age

Much loved for their evergreen power-pop ditties like What’s My Scene?, Bittersweet, Death Defying and Like Wow – Wipeout!, Sydney’s Hoodoo Gurus seem to exist in a parallel dimension to the rest of present-day rock landscape. Aside from their one-off 2003 reincarnation as psychedelic rock monsters Persian Rugs (the hilarious, glorious Turkish Delight LP is a bit of a lost classic), Dave Faulkner, Brad Shepherd and co have retained the luminous guitar jangle and crunch and rousing harmonies that typified their vintage releases. These days, it almost seems that the six years since 2004’s excellent comeback Mach Shau haven’t really passed, with the latest album Purity Of Essence possibly being the four-piece’s finest since 1985’s Mars Needs Guitars. Opener Crackin’ Up, with its surging chord progression and Faulkner’s instantly recognisable, ever-so-slightly-nasal vocals, is an instant Hoodoo Gurus classic; Are You Sleeping is arguably the band’s most gentle moment and I Hope Your Happy bounces like a scene from The Blues Brothers. The proverbial cake, however, goes to the angst-ridden friendship breakup story Over Nothing and closing intergalactic rocker The Stars Look Down, while the rest of the record, pierced by Shepherd’s scintillating leads, is ain’t no filler either. Bravo, Hoodoos – we wanted you back and you came back in style.

****½

DENIS SEMCHENKO

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