The last song off Ditz’s sophomore album, ‘Never Exhale,’ is a post-rock journey worth trekking on: The grueling riffs and atmosphere of “Britney” see the English band expanding and exploring their own potential.
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Stream: “britney” – DITZ
There’s no shortage of English artists putting out gripping and atmospheric rock music these days.
Ditz tapped into something special on their sophomore album, Never Exhale. The name forbodes the feeling of all 31 minutes preluding its highest moment.
Ditz dance around post-hardcore, post-punk, hard rock, and deliver surprises in every listen. Synths will drone through these songs as if they are separated from the rest of the band. Lyrically, you’re bombarded with an onslaught of paranoia, frustration, anger, and spoken word confessions. It’s a 31-minute fight with riffs bouncing around your head, instrumentals arriving and leaving at will, and lyrics pushing you around like you’re weightless. Much of the experience feels as though you’re in a constant fight with clashing melodies, but there’s a special type of joy when that imbalance becomes familiar.
Your reward for making it to the end of this journey is a 7-minute post-rock epic, “britney.” Beginning with muted soft chords, you’re kindly welcomed into the final stretch of this onslaught. Lyricist C.A. Francis extends that invitation, practically whispering the opening lines. Less than a minute in, you’re greeted with upstroke guitars, warning you of immanent change. The opening is the first and only reprieve you’ve had in this entire experience, and it’s very clearly the last. The foundation and delicate balance the whole album is built upon is crumbling. C.A. Francis enters a trance about halfway through:
“You’re a lot like you’re father
he’s a little man too
he’s got a bright red nose and
he guides his eyes up the
length of my thighs”
It’s happening. It’s your last warning before the whole album crumbles in upon itself and “britney” finally rips the floor out from under you.
Francis recants stories about the changing of seasons, families, and the danger of interpersonal relationships before endlessly repeating
“we build and we build and we build.
we build and we build and we build.
we build and we build and we build.
we build and we build and we build.”
Ditz are at their best making atmospheric rock with blown out heavy guitars. Nothing about this song has recanted that, but up until the final moment, guitars have been mostly transitional for C.A. Francis to entrance around. That isn’t the case for the climax of the tune. Rhythmic and melodic riffs eventually welcome the rest of the band back. By then, it’s already too late. “britney” finally pulls the plank you’ve been standing on directly into the grueling breakdown you’ve wanted the entire album – a swinging release and the first clean breath in the whole experience.
It’s the payoff of all of the pain, being suffocated by Ditz’s atmospheric offering. It’s the payoff of all the anger – directed at corporations for selling queer culture out for pennies. It’s the payoff of 10 years of practicing in the back room of cafes. It’s also a glimpse into what Ditz is and can be, leaders in the modern post-rock space offering us grueling breakdowns and emotionally-dense stories.
There’s so much to latch onto a tune like this – C.A. Francis’ delivery, the atmosphere, guitars contorted into unnatural sounds, the breakdown, addictive melodies, the trance-like synths, and the dysphoric lyrical delivery.
Unlike Ditz’s other songs, there’s no true chorus, and the familial comfort must be found within these contorted instrumentals. It’s a trip, it’s a journey, and it’s hopefully a look into the potential of the Brighton, UK group.
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:: stream/purchase Never Exhale here ::
:: connect with DITZ here ::
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Stream: “britney” – DITZ
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© Pedro Takahashi
© Pedro Takahashi
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