Friday February 4th, 2022
Australian indie alt-rock band Özergun has released The Days Before Lockdown, a folk-rock song featuring a lyric, despite its intimate nature, we might all relate to, a lyric that responds to the pandemic in a two-tiered fashion.
The verses focus on the minutiae of everyday life while the chorus pulls away from the small and takes a snapshot of a bigger picture, with the lines, ‘Well it’s been a shitty year / in the Southern Hemisphere / will we ever stop living in fear?’ emphasising our collective trepidation.
Despite the lyric’s specific point of view the new song depicts some undoubtedly familiar emotions experienced by Victorians living through the most prolonged lockdown in the world. Özergun’s members also include Harrison Kolevich (drums), Louis Cameron (lead guitar), Jerome Sutton (bass) and Zain Wittmann (keyboard). Typically exploring a variety of rock, funk, jazz, folk, and world music genres, the band’s more structured studio recordings often transform into improvised solo sections and extended jam sessions.
The band’s previous releases include Chasing Smoke (2020) and several singles. The Days Before Lockdown sees the band develop their hybrid alt-folk style, not only incorporating a fertile subject for exploration but employing a disparate blend of organic sonic textures and assured performances to create a committed, self-assured record. Sam Chesher Ozergun’s performance is restrained and understated throughout; this approach works in light of the lyric and the track’s overall mood.
Underscoring the melody is an array of well-modulated accompaniments, including tasteful piano work, controlled dynamics from the rhythm section and an intuitive adherence to the song’s ebb and flow, with some surprise chord choices after the chorus, which help generate a sense of apprehension.
This apprehension goes hand in hand with the unambiguous, plaintive yearning, providing a method of reflection that is less dramatic and subsequently more effective.
