Album Review: 'Bloody Lovely' by DZ Deathrays

(Review published in ET)

DZ Deathrays are bursting back onto the scene with their latest release Bloody Lovely, a combination of new and old sounds that are, quite literally, bloody lovely.

     After a 4 year wait, two-piece Brisbane-based band DZ Deathrays have finally released a follow up album to Black Rat suitably named Bloody Lovely. Incorporating that familiar DZ sound along with strong developments both lyrically and instrumentally, it’s an album well-worth the wait.

     Shane Parsons and Simon Ridley, the singer/guitarist and drummer from the band in question, have undergone a transformation within their song writing. They’ve mastered the art of storytelling, especially in songs like ‘Total Meltdown’, which describes what it’s like to feel depressed and have “nothing going on in [your] head”. Instrumentally, everything is more complex; the breakdowns are mesmerising, the drumming captivates the listener, and every element combines logically to create crisp and clean tracks. Songs like ‘Feeling Good, Feeling Great’ show great intricacies in their instrumental abilities; the guitar riffs are forever changing but the consistent drumming element brings it all together perfectly.

     Bloody Lovely debuted at #4 on the ARIA Charts, similar to the success of their previous ARIA award winning release Bloodstreams (2012). The first singles to be released from Bloody Lovely were also a hit, with 'Shred For Summer' even making it to #67 in Triple J's Hottest 100 despite being released in August. Other singles released in anticipation for the album include 'Bad Influence', 'Total Meltdown', and 'Like People'.

     Bloody Lovely in a nutshell is the combination of Shane’s deathly screams, irresistible breakdowns, and hard-core guitar riffs with Simon’s constant pounding of the drums. This album is powerful, hypnotic, and heavy; it conveys feelings of heartbreak and despair as well as pure fun and excitement. It’s the beautiful mixture of these aspects that create a classic DZ Deathrays sound.

     Some of the best songs on the album, in my opinion, are ‘Like People’, ‘High’, and ‘Afterglow’. ‘Like People’ is one of my favourites not only because it contains Murray from The Wiggles in the video clip doing some pretty weird shit, but also because it’s so raw and vulnerable. Shane describes his disdain for people who are boring, rude, and/or fake throughout each verse and, contrastingly, throughout the chorus professes his love for people who are kind and supportive towards him and his music. “After this, I feel I like you more,” he sings, acknowledging that while there are haters out there, he channels that hate into liking the good people more. ‘High’ contains beautiful, psychedelic pop-style backing guitar and shredding with a heavier guitar riffing over the top. It’s one of their catchiest tunes, describing what seems to be a night out “not getting sober”. ‘Afterglow’ reminds me the most of old DZ Deathrays’ lyrics, especially the song ‘Gebbie Street’ from Bloodstreams. As much of a love song as it gets for this band, ‘Afterglow’ is about what can only be described as an unrequited love filled with miscommunication and  manipulation.

     To summarise, if you love DZ Deathrays even slightly as much as I do, then you’ll definitely enjoy this album. If you’ve never heard DZ Deathrays’ music before but thoroughly enjoy hard rock, then you’ll enjoy this album. If you love connecting to quality lyric writing, then you’ll enjoy this album. If you breathe oxygen then you’ll probably enjoy this album - just saying.

     DZ Deathrays will be stopping by The Gov on their upcoming tour in May to put on one hell of a show. Joining them are emerging artists Clowns, These New South Wales, and Boat Show. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on tickets before they sold out, I’ll see you there!