Today, Brighton’s DITZ release Never Exhale on Republic of Music/Domino publishing. The album is noise rock at its best. Riffs and pedal-driven effects clash and rumble throughout creating intense and menacing soundtracks to Cal Francis’ lyrics.
The last minute of the recent single ‘Taxi Man’ is a prime example. Its dive bomber guitars colliding together bringing on an unholy crescendo.
‘Space/Smile’ is a song about unnecessary hatred and division. ‘It Smells Like Something Died In Here’ and ‘Senor Siniestro’ explore the concept of aging.
‘The Body As A Structure’ examines the separation of the physical from an ingrained sense of reality.
Never Exhale was largely written and recorded last year around their busy tour schedule. This made the process fraught. Relationships were soured by months on tour and the band admitted to falling out at times. This pressure and anxiety come through on the record. It is at times uncomfortable listening, but to quote The Colorblind James Experience “It’s ok to disturb me, that’s what I came here for”.
The album was mixed by Seth Manchester who is the go-to producer/mixer for bands who love the noise. He also mixed LOUD WOMEN’s album of the month Who Let the Dogs Out by The Lambrini Girls.
Never Exhale sounds like Idles without the optimism and with the extra menace of Shellac and The Jesus Lizard. Its quieter moments bring out 80s post-punk bands like The Cure and The Fall. This is a step up for DITZ, who have released an album that captures their intense live energy.
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