The Datsuns, 'Head Stunts'

Release date: May 12, 2009
Record label: Cooking Vinyl
Official Web site: http://www.thedatsuns.com/

The buzz: Although probably most associated with the garage rock revival at the turn of the century, the Datsuns found the most love in the hard rock world, gaining both a slot on Ozzfest and a fan in Metallica's Lars Ulrich. A few years removed from the spotlight, the New Zealand group returns with a new label, a new drummer and a self-produced fourth effort.

The verdict: On the one hand, this is simply rock 'n' roll at its primal best: lots of loud guitars, tons of "whoa whoa" and "hey hey" choruses and new drummer Ben Cole bashing out a beat that's all fury and speed. But there's an underlying complexity here as well. "Your Bones" is epic, meshing the guitar lines of classic Zeppelin with the moody, psychedelic tinge of Jane's Addiction. And the keyboard-slanted "Hey! Paranoid People" aligns itself closer to the post-punk goofiness of Devo. Nothing startlingly new here, but proof that using boisterous, three-chord rock as your foundation can still bring about some surprising results.

Did you know? "Head Stunts" is an anagram of "The Datsuns," and the album, according to singer Dolf de Borst, is a loose concept record about "mind games."