Over a decade in, the legendary Dom Mariani is still as invested in his stoner rock beast as ever. Fans of his prolific power pop work may still be scratching their heads, but there’s always been more to Datura4 than just riffs. Australian has long had its own hard rockin’ blues boogie tradition, which is the music that inspired Mariani to get into the game, and he always sounds like he’s having a blast playing this noise.
Plus, no matter what style in which he works, Mariani always brings his inherent melodicism to the table. Thus High On the Lowbrow, the quintet’s sixth LP, has it both ways – tough, burly stoner blues and rib-sticking singalong tunes. “Under a Rock” opens the record with both muscle and melody, while “Dirty Laundry” kicks off its grinding pound with honest-to-Johnny Winter acoustic blues. “Double Dealer” adds a greasy funk throb to its riffing proto-metal, while “See My Way” ventures into folk rock despite its saxophone solo. “Getting Through” puts the ballad form through a blues rawk filter, while “Mind Sailor” gets psychedelic and almost wistfully poppy on the chorus. A cover of obscure Nashville rocker *Dave Cloud*s “On the Rebound” simply blasts.
The dirty boogie dances with grungy garage pop, and it all sounds as tough, tight, and tuneful as a grizzly bear on acid. Datura4 may be High On the Lowbrow, but they’re still blessed with one of the finest songwriters in the world of guitar rock.
