★★★★
They might hark back to early developments of both pub rock and punk in Australia from a musical standpoint, 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 to Heat Island 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 clear MVP 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. With each lasting beyond the five-minute mark, these sprawling and incessant compositions reveal a dark and unrepentant side of the band, at once arresting and core-shaking.
While there are plenty of bands primarily concerned with who’s buying the next round, Hoodlum Shouts are kicking down the RSL doors and marching to the steps of parliament. Heat Island, by proxy, is their union address.
Heat Island byHoodlum Shoutsis out through Poison City.
