
DITZ
Never Exhale
Republic of Music/Domino Publishing
Jan 24, 2025 Web Exclusive
The continual rise of DITZ is no fluke. Indeed, the Brighton-based five-piece must be one of the hardest working bands on the circuit, having been almost permanently on tour these past four years—and probably longer if you include the enforced break initiated by COVID.
So, it’s to their credit they’re also capable of writing and constructing new music whilst on the road, as Never Exhale, their follow-up to 2023’s debut The Great Regression, succinctly attests to.
As is the DITZ way, a number of these songs developed and grew legs as it were while being road tested over the past year or so. While Never Exhale’s predecessor undoubtedly captured the band’s intense and often brutal live performances, there are moments here that feel slightly more refined. Albeit in the context of what’s gone beforehand.
“Taxi Man,” “Four,” and “18 Wheeler” have all featured prominently in DITZ’s live sets so it’s quite refreshing to hear their recorded counterparts here among such hallowed company. “Senor Siniestro” takes its cue from fellow noiseniks Gilla Band, defiantly punctuated by the increasingly familiar tones of vocalist C.A. Francis (“I feel like death”).
Elsewhere, the mechanical “God on a Speed Dial” and caustic “It Smells Like Something Died in Here” might be the nearest DITZ have come to radio-friendly singles territory. Even better are the closing couplets of “The Body as a Structure” and seven-and-a-half minutes closing opus “Britney,” which mess with the template and bludgeon the listener into submission.
An uneasy listen, but also one that’s very satisfying and ultimately rewarding. (www.ditzband.com)
Author rating: 8.5/10
Average reader rating: 9/10
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