Hoodoo Gurus - Stoneage Romeos (1984/2018) [Vinyl]

Hoodoo Gurus’ barnstorming debut album updates sunny ’60s pop for the ’80s. It also veers into screaming primitivism and chugging power pop, with Dave Faulkner brandishing a Kinksy snide quality. Such mood swings are key: The South Pacific-set “Leilani” and the creature-feature menace of “Dig It Up” both play up the band’s kitschy side, but “My Girl” goes the opposite way with its sweetly chiming heartache. These songs make a point of flexing their outsized range without sacrificing the band’s inherent cheekiness.