There's really nothing positive one can say about the COVID-19 pandemic and the global crisis it spawned in 2020, but the shutdown of international concert touring had one small upside for the Hoodoo Gurus. With their plans to hit the road scuttled and no firm endpoint in sight, Hoodoo Gurus leader Dave Faulkner had time to work out a batch of songs while stranded at home. The unexpected result is 2022's Chariot of the Gods, the first LP from the venerable Australians since 2010's Purity of Essence. After a wait of 12 years ...
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There's really nothing positive one can say about the COVID-19 pandemic and the global crisis it spawned in 2020, but the shutdown of international concert touring had one small upside for the Hoodoo Gurus. With their plans to hit the road scuttled and no firm endpoint in sight, Hoodoo Gurus leader Dave Faulkner had time to work out a batch of songs while stranded at home. The unexpected result is 2022's Chariot of the Gods, the first LP from the venerable Australians since 2010's Purity of Essence. After a wait of 12 years, most fans would likely be happy for anything fresh from the Gurus, and thankfully their patience has been rewarded -- Chariot of the Gods finds Faulkner back in the swing of things as a songwriter, and his bandmates give him and the material all the rock action needed. This isn't the hardest-rocking set the Hoodoo Gurus have offered us -- not a great surprise from a band soon to celebrate their 40th anniversary -- but "Don't Try to Save My Soul," "I Come from Your Future," and "Hang with the Girls" confirm there's plenty of muscle and spirit left in these guys. Elsewhere, "Get Out of Dodge" and "My Imaginary Friend" can be added to the band's roster of great pop tunes, "Settle Down" is a witty number about the perils of acting your age, and "Answered Prayers" is a cheerfully sinister number about a Lothario of the worst sort. More than a decade away from the studio has done Faulkner's voice no harm, and he's sounding better than he did on Purity of Essence, and his comrades in arms -- Brad Shepherd on guitar, Rick Grossman on bass, and Nik Rieth on drums -- run through this set with confidence, skill, and a sense of fun. The Hoodoo Gurus don't sound as gloriously goofy as they did on '80s masterpieces like Stoneage Romeos and Mars Needs Guitars, and their obsession with vintage pop culture has faded with time, but they're still in love with rock & roll, and for an album that was a product of a difficult time, it carries a subtle but clear message of joy and the determination to embrace what makes life worthwhile -- you can even dance to it. A Hoodoo Gurus album may not be what the world needs most in 2022, but one listen to Chariot of the Gods will show it's good for what ails your soul, and it's a welcome return from a consistently great band. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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