This week’s release is a 6-minute epic from up and coming Sydney punk band 100. More than a year after the release of their debut EP, Cortisone, the band have found success in live shows and tours. Triple J’s Tommy Faith described 100’s last single “Just Us” as a “savage, literate piece of punk”. This is a good description of 100’s style. They are angry and frustrated, but able to channel this punk attitude through artistic songwriting. Recorded out of the Golden Retriever Studios in Marrickville, “Weightless” takes this musical literacy to another level.

The biggest thing to note about this song is its length. A 6-minute punk track is difficult to pull off, but with the perfect balance of instrumentals, breakdowns and verses, 100 make it feel like an epic. This is in part due to how the song builds and builds like a progressive rock song. This is mainly heard in the instrumentation, which is rich with layers. From the acoustic guitar strumming and duel electric guitar melodies to the heavy-set drums and bright bass line, everything comes together in a glorious harmony. This is a testimony to the production, which combines clear and distinct channels with the dirt and crunch of the punk instruments. As a result, the layers mix together to maintain their individual thickness without muddying the track. The vocal performance is powerful, with singer Rowen Tucker combining his shout/sing voice with some emotive delivery. One of the track’s best features are his lyrics. Matching the fast-paced instrumental tone, his lyrics have hints of rage, sadness and apathy. Like it says in the song, “close your eyes and let your body sink”, because the combined themes of the lyrics and the emotion of the accompaniment are powerful enough to lift the listeners spirits up and carry them, weightless, to a place of introspection.

On the lyrics, Tucker writes “it’s a story from the hot and dull Australian suburbs, for the kids born into mediocrity and low expectation, that choose to search for a life bigger and more challenging. Who, while planning their escape will bide their time by going inward to find refuge in a world of in books, music, art and film.”

Catch 100 live at the following dates:

6th Dec - Fairgrounds Festival - Berry, NSW
8th Dec - Supporting The Lemonheads - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
20th Dec - Weightless Single Launch - Waywards, Newtown
6th Feb - Party In The Paddock, Tasmania