They might harken back to early developments in Australian punk and pub rock, but Melbourne-via-Canberra’s Hoodlum Shouts are more pertinent to the here and now than practically any other band. Their 2012 debut, Young Man/Old Man, was an eloquent indictment of both the political and personal – particularly focusing on their intersection – but its follow-up is perhaps even more volatile and urgent.
The title track hurtles forth at breakneck pace, bowling over all in its path with a roaring all-in chorus. Self Medicating, too, leans in on the band’s post-punk influences by means of its clattering drums and snarling guitar from Mike Caruana.
If anything gets Heat Island over the line as one of the essential Australian rock albums of the year, however, it has to be its closing three-track suite. Each chapter exceeds the five-minute mark, and these sprawling and incessant compositions reveal a dark and unrepentant side of the band, at once arresting and core-shaking.
While there’s plenty of bands primarily concerned with who’s buying the next round, Hoodlum Shouts are kicking the RSL doors down and marching down to parliament steps. Heat Island, by proxy, is their union address.
BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
