Australia’s Hummingbirds play an agreeable form of brisk guitar-band pop that’s hypnotic in small doses, but soporific on loveBUZZ‘s 55-minute length. With American classicist Mitch Easter producing, the Sydney quartet’s debut emphasizes a ringing blend of male and female three-part harmonies, generating a sweet, airy vibe with unabashed guitar energy. While toned-down efforts like “Everything You Said” (which resembles a juiceless Primitives) occasionally threaten preciousness, the rhythm section kicks hard enough in songs like “Blush,” “Word Gets Around” and “Get on Down” to keep the record in a good gear.
Nic Dalton, the band’s sometime bassist, later joined the Lemonheads, who recorded “Into Your Arms,” a song written by Robyn St. Clare of the Hummingbirds.