The all-encompassing power of the media has already decreed that THE DATSUNS are just about the coolest thing on eight bedenimed legs at present, so to slag this off - the second single from their eponymous album - is akin to begging to be burnt at the stake.
Better bring the petrol and matches, then, because while "Harmonic Generator" is OK, it really ain't all that inspiring. That said, I'm not about to slag it purely for sounding obviously retro (which, of course it does in a punked-up, scuzz Glam kinda way, as you'd imagine), as W&H have happily accepted The Datsuns' NZ compatriots THE D4 to our garage rock hearts, so to attack this for that reason would be churlish.
Nope, the problem is simply this: while THE D4 rock like men who long ago forgot where the end of their collective tether was, this reviewer gets the feeling that The Datsuns are receiving the regal treatment because: 1) Their faces fit in the current climate; 2) Dolf is going out with one of The Von Bondies, guaranteeing their all-important garage rock cred brownie points and 3) Their songs never aspire to anything more than easy-to-shout sub-Ramones by numbers, thus assuring no-one is challenged too much.
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So, "Harmonic Generator" is simply OK, then. It's got some tasty, pneumatic riffing and I'd probably like it more if they brought on the heavy guitar artillery earlier and Dolf didn't sing like his nuts were caught in a car crusher. As it is, we seem to be wetting ourselves over a decent enough, but ultimately average band The Ramones or AC/DC in their prime could have wiped the floor over.
Aren't we easily pleased these days or what?
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