Australian rock often seems confined to a few monster names, but the country still boasts a thriving scene that, as Datura4’s follow-up to 2015’s Demon Blues debut clearly shows, has a firm grasp on garage psych and progressive blues rock.
The band were formed in Western Australia by singer Dom Mariani (The Stems, DM3) and guitarist Greg Hitchcock (You Am I, New Christs), who are joined by drummer Warren Hall (The Drones) and bassist Stu Loasby. Crucially, Datura4’s main influences seem to be their own country’s legends, including Buffalo, Coloured Balls and Masters Apprentices, although outings such as Fools Gold Rush and the slow-grind title track display a wider sense of dynamics and blues-rock combustion that’s all their own.
