Crack

15/20

A pitch-perfect evocation of a sound and era so often disappointingly bungled, Canadians Hooded Fang do a stellar job of the surfy jangle of 60s garage. OK, so it’s been done countless times over the last half-century, but when done well, you really can’t hear it too much.

Thematically built around an inter-band break-up, a brave challenge in itself, more refreshing still is the band's ability to see the potential for dancefloor shuffle-and-twisters in vocal hooks like “I still see you in my dreams at night” on the title-track, with its divine Beatles harmonies. At other points, such as the skippy Vacationation, there’s almost something of an upbeat, doo-wop Libertines about them, while Den of Love is a sickly yet endearing retro ballad complete with lovelorn croons that “I’ve got a woman that I need to get next to or I will surely die”. Spooky swampy interludes, meanwhile, imbue the album (all 23 minutes of it) with an evocative sense of context. For full-effect, pop Tosta Mista on a record player in any room where the air is thick with the aroma of pommade and creepers stomp the dancefloor, y’dig?

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Words: Geraint Davies