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“Bloody Lovely” - DZ Deathrays

“Bloody Lovely” is DZ Deathrays’ third studio album which was released on the label, ‘I Oh You Records’. Their medioric rise from the Brisbane music scene has seen them cut their teeth at local houses parties to becoming one of the more successful hard rock/punk outfits in Australia. Such successes were recognised by ARIA awards for both their previous records, ‘Bloodstreams’ (2012), and, ‘Black Rat’ (2014).

The band has recently come off the back of the ‘Falls Festival’ lineup for 2017/18, of which I was lucky enough to attend. As a whole their set was phenomenal - a relentless swell of soaring guitar riffs that conducted an insanely rough mosh of punters on a forty-degree day, all immensely and seamlessly complimented by the gritty, bittersweet vocals of lead singer Shane Parsons.

This ferocity is not lost to ‘Bloody Lovely’. Tracks such as, ‘Bad Influence’, would not be out of place on any of their prior records, making me question whether that due to its immense shortness if it were a B-side to ‘Black Rat’ or not.

In comparison to previous works though, the production on this record seems overly saturated to me. It’s definitely a lot softer overall when going back and listening to tracks off, ‘Black Rat’, as if to say that in the mastering of the record the layerings of the tracks were washed over immensely causing it to sound faded and sludgy. Whether or not this effect was deliberate or not, it certainly takes away from what to me was an all round decent listen. The ‘Immigrant Song’-like riff on the album’s opener, which by far and away is the best track on the album, I feel personally is let down by the overall production value of the record.

Needless to say, the anthemic opener ‘Shred For Summer’, is a real stand-out for me and is probably one of, if not the best songs they have released to date. Parsons and Ridley do an exceptional job of encapsulating the ‘dive bar’ feel they were striving for - painting a colourful array of neon light with the chorus melody, drumming to the rhythm of a devilish late night out and strumming the notes to a riff that makes you want to beat your friends up for fun. For me this track makes a bold statement for the band going forward as they diverge into a natural evolution of themselves.

Generally speaking, the album lacks a lot of variety and is held back by songs that rely on band’s overall sound rather than their proven songwriting capability. A few songs towards the back end of the record I feel don’t add to the project as much as others, with these select songs failing to find their own significance on ‘Bloody Lovely’. This helps me appreciate songs like, ‘Guillotine’, and, ‘Bad Influence’, not necessarily for being the best songs on the album, but for varying the rhythmic and melodic tendencies DZ Deathrays find themselves depending on throughout.

At times the lyrics aren’t much to brag about. Although it has one of the catchiest hooks on the whole record, ‘Total Meltdown’, boasts the lyric, “Cause I’m dead/There’s nothing going on in my head/There’s nothing going on in my eyes”, which to me is elementary at best. In saying so, this hook foreshadows some of the lyrical undertones permeated throughout the record via Parson’s personal anecdotes. On songs like, ‘High’, where he pleads, “I can’t lead you/ I can’t lead you through the dark”, you really get a feel that for Parson’s, parts of ‘Bloody Lovely’ are therapeutic in the sense that it provides a felling of closure to what I could only assume was a breakdown of a particular relationship. This is hinted largely in, ‘Over It, “You say you wanna get over, get over me” and, ‘Back and Forth’, “I don’t mind where we’re going/just not back and forth”. Whilst I can genuinely recognise the sincerity and simplicity of these lyrics, it’s safe to say they’re no masterpiece.

Aside from this, the album is still a decent listen through. There’s a lot of enjoyable moments, particularly the gem, “Witchcraft Pt.II”, that finds itself as the album’s closer. Sparse imagery of running through the woods chanting, “666”, add to create a fusion of mystical dynamite primed with a killer breakdown and haunting melodic phrases. The blur of, ‘Bad Influence’, feels like the rush of blood you get when gunning down the street in your car, or taking a shot of vodka and preceding to do something inherently stupid. I can also see high energy songs like, “Feeling Good, Feeling Great”, and, “Like People”, being crowd favourites on their upcoming national tour with their bouncing tempos, sing-a-long chorus’ and powerful riffs combining for two great tunes.

“Bloody Lovely” is a decent third record for DZ Deathrays, but is held back by poor production and the fact that it loses its footing at times due to instances of lacklustre songwriting.

Strong 6 to a light 7.

Favourite Tracks: Shred for Summer, Bad Influence, Witchcraft Pt.II

Least Favourite: High, Over It, Back& Forth, Afterglow