Hoodoo Gurus Blow Your Cool

As Australia’s most ardent devotees of such quintessentially American sounds as ’60s garage rock and ’70s power pop, Hoodoo Gurus were bound to find friends on the other side of the Pacific. That’s why it’s no surprise to see pals from The Bangles and The Dream Syndicate among the guests on 1987’s Blow Your Cool!, the band’s third and most consistently engaging album since they first blasted out of Sydney in 1981. The L.A. girl group’s backing vocals boost the energy levels of “Good Times” and “Party Machine”, two standouts that demonstrate Gurus frontman Dave Faulkner’s melodic flair and self-deprecating wit. Elsewhere, The Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn and Mark Walton lend their voices to “In The Middle Of The Land”, an appropriate choice given the song’s darker, more psychedelic edge. Of course, “What’s My Scene” proved the Gurus could handle things just fine without any help. Besides becoming their biggest Australian hit, the album’s exuberant lead single also marked the point when the band became more than the combination of their retro-cool influences, developing a signature mix of snark and swagger. Dave Opitz’s slick and punchy production also ensured that their big guitars had never sounded bigger.