The Hoodoo Gurus remain one of the criminally underrated rock acts of the last few decades. Nearly anything they've offered up since Reagan was president here has been full of sharp hooks, and a witty, retro appeal. The band's first record in 12 years, Chariot of the Gods, dropped on Friday, and it's full of quite a few raucous gems, and a few superb power-pop numbers.
"My Imaginary Friend" and "Equinox" favor a spry, melodic approach, while "World of Pain" and "Get Out of Dodge" are a bit harder. Frontman Dave Faulkner deftly jumps between styles here, blending a smartly observed set of lyrics on "Hang with the Girls" with a punchy attack, even while modulating things a bit on the Beatles-y "Was I Supposed to Care", a real highlight here. Chariot of the Gods is a bit long at 14 songs, but taken in short doses, nearly anything here is superbly-realized hard rock. Every selection, as on the first few Hoodoos releases, bounces forward with a garage rock-like hardness, even as the melodies insist on being catchy as hell. It's a formula that's worked, and clearly continues to work, for Faulkner and crew and, again, we find ourselves re-evaluating this band and being thankful they exist and continue to record records like this one.
More details on Chariot of the Gods and Hoodoo Gurus via the official website.
[Photo: Christopher Ferguson]