Dazy Surprises Fans With 'Bad Penny' EP
Dazy, the Richmond, VA-based project of James Goodson, has returned with the Bad Penny EP: a surprise release of seven songs showcasing the imaginative production and homemade crunch that is sure to charm fuzz rockers, bedroom poppers, and trip hoppers alike. Listen to the Bad Penny EP here
Since the 2022 release of Dazy's acclaimed debut album, OUTOFBODY, Goodson has been charting an unconventional path and expanding his sound in exciting new directions through a steady release of singles, EPs, and collaborations. Bad Penny continues this hot streak, although calling it an EP might be a bit of an arbitrary designation: clocking in at just shy of 22 minutes, Bad Penny is only three minutes shorter than OUTOFBODY, and is crafted with the cohesion and obsessive attention to detail that defines Dazy.
At times the EP sounds like a transmission from an alternate reality where Noel Gallagher leads Gorillaz instead of Damon Albarn, with melodies as big and bold as they come and the inventive production packed with manipulated sounds and head-bobbing loops. Tracks like "Straight 2 You," "Bull Around The Porcelain," and "Silly Me" blend the thump of drum machines and primitive Casio SK-1 samples with blown-out guitars and distortion-smeared vocal harmonies. Mid-EP standout "I Don't Wanna Think About The Money" might just be the best pop tune Dazy has ever penned, a cut of sample-driven big beat reimagined as heart-on-the-sleeve indie rock; elsewhere "Half Truth" and "Delusions of..." hew closer to the concise overdriven alt rock of OUTOFBODY-save for the breakbeats and streaks of TB-303 that instead sound like The Chemical Brothers crashing a Sugar show.
Written, performed, and recorded entirely by Goodson-and mixed/mastered by Justin Pizzoferrato-Bad Penny illustrates that Dazy's true strength lies in his ability to transmute all these familiar influences into something unique, as perhaps best evidenced by the title track closer. Flipping Goodson's penchant for two-minute guitar pop nuggets on its head, the song stretches out over six minutes as it builds from quirky sample-collaged psych pop into a tornado of speaker-ripping guitars and feedback, all somehow topped by a vocal melody catchy enough to conquer the noise.
The Bad Penny EP follows the prolific songwriter's dual 2024 EPs, I Get Lost (when i try to get found) and It's Only A Secret (if you repeat it), which drew attention from Pitchfork ('Selects'), Stereogum, The FADER, Paste Magazine, Uproxx, and more. Earlier this year, Dazy also released a standalone single, "Pay No Mind (To The Signs)," and has been staying busy working with other artists, including releasing another collaborative song with Militarie Gun, "Tall People Don't Live Long," in addition to co-writing two songs on the band's recently released album, God Save The Gun.
Dazy-who has toured with Snail Mail, Narrow Head, Liquid Mike, Graham Hunt, Angel Du$t, Alien Boy, and more-will head back out on the road tomorrow for a run of tour dates with White Reaper and Worlds Worst.
Dazy Live:
10/22 Queens, NY @ TV EYE *
10/23 Philadelphia, PA @ Nikki Lopez ^
10/24 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar *
10/25 Harrisonburg, VA @ Golden Pony *
10/26 Raleigh, NC @ Kings *
10/28 Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room *
*w/ White Reaper, Worlds Worst
^w/ Worlds Worst, Magic America
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