With ‘S.F. ‘97,’ the band turns a Johnny Cash rhythm into a punk rock tantrum.
Emerging from what they aptly describe as a “Rainbow Graveyard,” the Australian heavy psych outfit Dazed. specialises in a beautiful, calculated chaos.
Their sound is a formidable beast, built on a foundation of “pulsating lows and ear-wrenching highs” that congeal into a wave of what they call “disorganised rage.”
This isn’t music for the faint of heart; it’s for those who find solace in dissonance and who, as they wryly note, “nod their heads with apathy” to the likes of the unhinged garage punk of Osees or the abrasive noise of Chat Pile.
Dazed. crafts anthems for the overstimulated and the disillusioned.
Their latest single, ‘S.F. ‘97,’ is a perfect crystallisation of this mission. Written by frontman Dennis Roberts between 2019 and 2022, the track is a fascinating experiment in fusion.
Roberts aimed to marry the iconic, relentless “train running” sound of Johnny Cash with the raw, unfiltered energy of garage rock and punk.
The result is a track that feels both primal and meticulously constructed.
From its opening moments, ‘S.F. ‘97’ establishes a driving, percussive rhythm, a nod to the Man in Black’s ghost train, but it’s a train barreling through a post-industrial wasteland.
The song quickly layers on its signature disorganised rage: searing guitars, a rumbling bassline, and Roberts’ own impassioned vocals, which are punctuated by the unexpected, gritty wail of a blues harp.
The collective performance from the entire horde, including co-producer Simon Dobson, feels less like a recording session and more like a controlled explosion captured on tape.
Lyrically, the song delves into the profound frustration of modern consumerism, where products, including sex, are relentlessly forced upon us.
View this post on Instagram
This initial concept expanded into a broader commentary on the dangers of living in an echo chamber without self-awareness.
The chorus, a later addition that cemented the song’s live presence, serves as a cathartic release for this pent-up societal claustrophobia.
‘S.F. ‘97’ is a visceral, five-minute purge of contemporary anxiety, proving that in the hands of Dazed., dissonance truly is bliss.
