The title cut from Australian garage rock/psych rock outfit Datura4’s latest LP, West Coast Highway Cosmic, is the dash-pounding, air keyboard, rocking freakout this generation has long needed but was too afraid to ask for. Built on sturdy rhythms, lysergic twists and turns, and a vocal hook that won’t soon leave you, this is the best of its kind since Deep Purple’s ‘Highway Star.’ – Jedd Beaudoin / POPMATTERS HERE
“Get Out” is an uptempo, rocking, middle-finger-at-full-mast sprint that owes equally to all band members. It’s a tough decision to choose either the crunchy chord progression or the Jerry Lee Lewis-esqe tack piano for track highlight. Paired with the closer, “Evil People, Pt. 1” (“Pt. 2” is on last year’s album—go figure), it makes for a very strong finish. Mariani sings a simple but poignant observation, “Some people are good people. Some people, they’re just evil.” This lyric, sung over a bed of deep organ sounds and flanged-out guitar, eventually makes way for the hardest riff of the album. Combined with additional instrumental fireworks and a decidedly prog-rock tone, it reveals a welcome dimension of West Coast Highway Cosmic and Datura4 in general. – BLUES ROCK REVIEW
READ THE INTERVIEW WITH DOM MARIANI HERE
The band are fronted by Australian Dom Mariani a man with quite a long list of former and current bands like DM3 and The Stems. With this album, like its predecessor, the band claims the territory of 70’s boogie, citing Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Beatles as heroes. So, much choogling, interesting arrangements and melodic rock driven songs, lending itself well to an open road with the car stereo turned up loud. – TERRASCOPE HERE
LITTLE STEVEN’S UNDERGROUND GARAGE : The Coolest Song in the World this week is ‘Get Out’ by DATURA4
On the new album Skin Suit (Alive Natural Sound), produced by Jon Spencer, the band show they’ve got the chops and the weirdness to refresh vintage rock, punk, and blues (they do a gritty take on Bo Diddley’s “I’m a Man”) without the commercialism that has plagued other prominent garage bands of their generation. Quartin’s unpolished vocals often recall Richard Hell (the record closes with a rousing cover of “Blank Generation”), but the music is memorable enough in its own right to make you want to put highlights such as “Coin” and “Guttermilk” on repeat. – The CHICAGO READER HERE
West Coast Highway Cosmic is straight ahead, smart rock. Pure and simple. – SPILL MAGAZINE HERE
