Once again, Datura4 have produced a gem and I urge you all to investigate.

This is the third offering from Antipodean Boogie Rock purveyors Datura4, a group led by Dom Mariani (vocals/guitars/bass) who is supported by Warren Hall (drums/percussion), Stu Loasby (bass) and also featuring integral contributions from Howie Smallman (harmonica/backing vocals). In 2015, they began their journey by spreading their 'Demon Blues' throughout both northern and southern hemispheres. Twelve months later they scaled the dizzy heights of 'Hairy Mountain', a wonderful opus that I was honoured to review in issue #77. 'Blessed Is The Boogie' sees the band back down to earth and delivering yet more organic, slightly Psychedelic, Blues-infused music that is flamboyant, fun, occasionally frantic and which integrates a fuzziness that simply adds warmth and wonderment.

Mariani told me that the group's influences include seventies Australian outfits like Coloured Balls, Carson and Taman Shud, plus Savoy Brown, The Yardbirds, Jimi Hendrix, Canned Heat and unsurprisingly the "Holy Trinity" of British Classic Rock (Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple). His personal influences include The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Rolling Stones, but to be honest there are innumerable and varying musical references swirling around each composition; Datura4 integrate each one into their own unique sound. If you're a lover of well-executed Rock, you'd be crazy to ignore this release or their previous two albums.

Opening this release are 'Black Dog Keep Running' and the title-track; unsurprisingly, the former deals with the serious subject of mental illness, whilst the latter is a full-on boogie-fest that had me thinking of early Status Quo and Norman Greenbaum's seventies classic 'Spirit In The Sky'. Lyrically, the pair are polar opposites, but both incorporate great riffing, a pounding rhythm section and outstanding guitar breaks. The same can be said for the Glam Rock-sounding 'Run With Lucy', 'Ooh Poo Pah Doo' (with its Doors-esque organ driving the song forward) and 'Sounds Of Gold' which has a T. Rex riff going on as well as a Honky-Tonk vibe reminiscent of The Stones.

'Not For Me', 'Cat On A Roof' and album closer 'The City Of Lights' have a lighter, sixties feel, and they all emit vibes that Paul McCartney and John Lennon would be proud of. That just leaves the instrumental 'Evil People Part 2' (featuring a 'We Will Rock You' back-beat) and slow-burning stomper 'Looper' with the wonderful lyric, "I'm a looper, a party pooper in a stupor."

Once again, Datura4 have produced a gem and I urge you all to investigate.

Dave Crompton