Spanish '60s obsessives
the Gurus are still living in the past, but judging from the sound of their fifth album,
Now, it's entirely possible the band might make it into the '70s yet. Psychedelia and garage rock are still two of the hallmarks of
the Gurus' sound, but
Now adds a healthy portion of simple hard rock to the mix that wasn't there before, and the thick power chords that fuel "In the Queue," "Jokes," "Parasites," and their cover of
the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" suggest that
Blue Cheer or
the MC5 may have entered their collective consciousness. Longtime
Gurus fans need not fret -- the band's taste in
Who albums is still defined by My Generation rather than Live at Leeds judging from "He Was a Man," classic psychedelic sounds inform the opener "Yer Space Rocket," and the revved-up folk-rock of "Second Scene" is one of
Now's most gloriously tuneful moments. But if the hard rock influences don't define this album, they have an undeniable impact on the whole, and the production and engineering sounds sharper and more up to date than the purposefully retro approach of
the Gurus' earlier efforts. Perhaps
the Gurus are following the lead of obvious influence
the Pretty Things in keeping things up to date, even if they're doing so at a remove of three decades; whatever prompted
Now's tougher sound, it brings a welcome new side to their music, giving it a welcome punch all around.