Towing the line between contemporary balls-out punk and hipster friendly pop-indie, the debut album by Brisbane based Aussie duo DZ Deathrays packs a powerful punch.
This no-holds-barred attitude flows in the veins of the record, with every second throwing back to what you’d expect from basement parties in their native Australia. It is almost impossible not to thrash around to album highlight ‘Cops Capacity’ as if caught up in the middle of a raucous crowd, and ‘Teenage Kickstarts’ ensures the thrash influences are pushed to the forefront with the basement rock feel. Even during the more tender moments (‘Dumb It Down’ and the extremely indie-friendly closer ‘Trans AM’), there is still an obvious consideration for continued ferocity. DZ Deathrays show no intention of either beefing out their sound or straying too far into commerciality, and ‘Bloodstreams’ sounds excellent because of it.
Formed by Shane Parsons and Simon Ridley (vocals/guitar and vocals/drums respectively), the sound is certainly bigger than you’d initially expect. At times, however, the record is struck by the inevitable outcome of minimal instrumentation – ‘Bloodstreams’ does not reinvent the wheel, nor does it offer anything overly complicated – which may attract some distain from those with a more judgemental palette.
Regardless, DZ Deathrays have created an album which would (and should) accompany any party this summer. ‘Bloodstreams’ is overflowing with raw energy and vivacity, and certainly an album worth investing in. The duo claim they started at a house party, and will most likely end at one – we will certainly be first in line at the door.
BEN TIPPLE