With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

‘Lost In Good Intentions’ – Fishing 4 Compliments October 12, 2025

Filed under: Album,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 3:05 pm
Tags: , ,

Back in July Eileen Wattam, front woman and lead singer of fabulous Huddersfield band Fishing 4 Compliments sent me the bands new album, ‘Lost In Good Intentions’. I have listened to it quite a bit and it gets better every time. We featured the band in the Mayhem Virgins series in August, check that out here. It was released officially earlier this month and the world is a better place as a result. I have heard them described as a folk band, while they use some folk styling they are so much more than that. In fact they would be hard to place firmly into any specific genre box. Album opener “Hard To Please” has a Buckingham Nicks later Fleetwood Mac vibe to it with Wattam sounding like Jacqui Abbott at times. This is a wonderful pop rock song with hooks and harmonies aplenty. “Empty Eyes” also has a Fleetwood Mac feel, but adds a vocal which reminded me of Eddie Reader. Eileen seems to be able to draw on every emotion with her gorgeous voice.

There is an ardent and earnest folk rock feel to “Ghosts” with a vein of psychedelia that Traffic used to do so well. This is a song that genuinely haunts your head, but in a good way. Probably my favourite track at the moment. “If I Had” showcases the clarity of the Dunwells production perfectly. It has some infectious jangly guitar and a really emotive performance from Eileen Wattam. If you like an acoustic led ballad then “Secret Room” might be perfect for you. The lyrics are quite dark and might relate to toxic relationships. The light acoustic sound is slowly built up with strings which give it a cinematic feel. If Clare Grogan had fronted Aztec Camera back in the 80s they might have created a song like the magnificent “Make A Million”. Try and listen to this song and not sing, or at least hum along to it. The rock side of the band is strong on “Feeling Lucky” which leaves me with a smile every time I hear it.

The instrumentation is quite sparse on “Hand To Reach You” and the guitar sound is wonderfully Knopfleresque. Wattam sounds at her most vulnerable of this moody, brooding masterpiece. “Listen More” and “How You Amaze Me” round of a great album really well with some strong folk channels swinging through both. ‘Lost In Good Intentions’ really is a great album and the title is quite apt in my opinion as the band state their intent with passion and fire. If you love good music then get your ears around Fishing 4 Compliments right now! I can’t wait to see them live now!

If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog. You can also follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.

Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.

 

‘Woody At Home – Vol 1 + 2’ – Woody Guthrie August 17, 2025

Filed under: Album,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 4:55 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

Woodrow Wilson Guthrie a.k.a. Woody Guthrie died nearly 60 years ago aged just 55. Now some of his previously unpublished home demos have been released almost 75 years after they were recorded. ‘This ‘Woody At Home’ was released this weekend on Shamus Records. The 22 song collection features recordings made by Guthrie at his Brooklyn home during 1951 and 1952. It is just Guthrie and his legendary guitar recorded directly onto a reel-to-reel tape machine. Apparently the songs were never set for any kind of commercial release. But then the AI technology to make them stronger and cleaner became available alongside the production prowess of Steve Rosenthal and mixing and mastering skills of recording engineer Jessica Thompson. In addition to AI the pair used vintage audio restoration methods while seeking, and succeeding, in maintaining the rawness and charm of these historical home recordings.

The collection opens with a very familiar Woody tune, “This Land Is Your Land”, but this time I believe it contains additional verses that have not been heard before. I love that there is a lot of ambient sounds, brief conversations, someone coughing and this really makes the listener feel like they are in the room with him. Tow tracks including “Howie, I’d Like To Talk To Yuh” are effectively a voice note for someone else, the titular Howie in this instance. I think that might refer to Howie Richmond who was Guthrie’s music publisher. One of my favourite songs here is “Deportee” a song that is as relevant now as it was then. It tells the story of how the USA treats immigrant workers back then and clearly still do. Guthrie wrote the song after a 1948 plane crash killed 28 farm workers who the media referred to as deportees. These were human beings and it is clear that Guthrie understood that. The song has been covered by many artists over the years including Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell to name just a few.

You would expect that given these recordings were made six or seven years after the end of the 2nd World War that fascism and Nazism would feature strongly and they do. But what resonates most is how easily those songs relate to the present day US government under Donald Trump. Woody Guthrie once wrote a song about Trump’s father Fred Trump who was once Guthrie’s landlord. That song describes the racist housing practices and discriminatory rental policies perpetrated by Trump Sr. Clearly the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. That song isn’t include here, but we do get “Back Door Bum And The Big Land Lord” a song about a fictional trek through the afterlife of a rich man and a poor man in which the Big Land Lord gets sent to Hell after trying to buy his way through the Pearly Gates. “I’m A Child Ta Fight” was one of the tracks to be issued as a single and shows how much Guthrie hated fascists, Nazis and particularly Hitler. The line “look out you fascists here I come” sits nicely with “This machine kills fascists” which Woody painted on his guitar in the 1940s.

Another song that works so well for our current times is “Peace Call” a song that urges global peace. I have always felt that I am not afraid to die, but do not wish to die alone or in great pain. Woody’s song “Ain’t Afraid To Die” deals with a fear of dying alone among many other themes. “Innocent Man” is an intelligently crafted anti racist song and in the spoken intro to “Einstein Theme Song” Guthrie shares a conversation with Albert Einstein where the famous and revered theoretical physicist talks of inventing something that would kill racism for good. That would be great, but maybe we just need to ensure children are not taught how to hate. If you felt that Woody Guthrie only wrote protest and political songs take a listen to “Forsaken Lover” this is a gorgeous moving song of love and heartbreak, truly a thing of musical and poetic beauty. Guthrie has fun with Sigmund Freud’s theories of the id, ego and superego on “My Id & My Ego”. The closing song is “You Better Git Ready” a rousing call to arms about getting ready to fight for what you believe in. This wonderful, historic and heartfelt collection of songs opens a window on Woody Guthrie’s creative process and must be the only contender for best reissue of the year. The New York Times called this compilation a “treasure trove” and that phrase sums it up perfectly. The full track listing is shared below.

VOLUME 1, SIDE A

  1. This Land Is Your Land (Woody’s Home Tape) (3:00)
  2. Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done (2:53)
  3. Howie, I’d Like To Talk To Yuh (spoken word) (2:25)
  4. Deportee (Woody’s Home Tape) (3:47)
  5. Great Ship (2:53)
  6. Pastures of Plenty (3:11)

VOLUME 1, SIDE B

  1. Jesus Christ (4:39)
  2. I’m a Child Ta Fight (2:23)
  3. Innocent Man (3:32)
  4. I’ve Got To Know (4:17)
  5. Backdoor Bum and the Big Landlord (3:18)

VOLUME 2, SIDE A

  1. I Just Want To Tell You Fellers (spoken word) (0:55)
  2. Peace Call (4:11)
  3. Ain’t Afraid To Die (3:35)
  4. Buoy Bells from Trenton (3:54)
  5. Einstein Theme Song (with spoken word) (1:19)
  6. One Little Thing An Atom Can’t Do (3:35)

VOLUME 2, SIDE B

  1. Forsaken Lover (4:15)
  2. My Id & My Ego (3:20)
  3. Lifebelt Washed Up (5:17)
  4. Funny Mountain (1:57)
  5. You Better Git Ready (2:42)

If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog. You can also follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.

Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.

 

‘Panic Shack’ – Panic Shack July 17, 2025

Filed under: Album,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 4:16 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Cardiff-based punk quintet Panic Shack, who exploded onto the scene back in 2018, will unleash their much-anticipated self-titled debut album on 18 July 2025 via Brace Yourself Records. This energetic slab of perfect punk energy was produced by Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius, Yard Act). The album opens with a classy combination of punk and pop sound in “Girl Band Starter Pack”. It was the second single from the album. It has sharp riffs and a thunderous bass line and keeps the band’s spirit of rebellion and fun. The album’s lyrical themes embrace passionate feminism and tight friendship. In the first single from the collection, “Gok Wan”, the band rages towards malignant media beauty standards with no apologies, this is a riot grrrl feminist anthem for theses times. Current single “Thelma & Louise” is a wonderful love song, but not in a lovey dovey valentine sense. I think it is about the joy of a platonic friendship.


So many of their lyrics are conversational. In “Pockets”, literally a song about having no pockets, the line “Got my vape in my bra / Drink in my hand” is literally something that vocalist Sarah Harvey said on a night out. “Unhinged” is about swiping through dating app Hinge, and the mostly, white lies people tell on there. Misogynists will almost certainly be afraid of Panic Shack, and I have no sympathy for them at all. Sexual harassment is on the receiving end of a musical powerhouse right hook from the band on “SMELLARAT”. The industry plant brigade showed their showed their cards early in Panic Shack’s career, around the time “The Ick” was released, accusing them of simply cosplaying being working class. Frankly that is utter bollocks! I doubt that anyone who had not grown up in a working-class environment could write a punk classic like “Tit School”. This is my current favourite on the album. The lyrics are perfect, take “I didn’t go to Bedale’s / Instead I got free meals,” for example.


The band consists of Sarah Harvey (vocals), Meg Fretwell (guitar/backing vocals), Romi Lawrence (guitar/backing vocals), Em Smith (bass/backing vocals) and Nick Williams (drums) and together they are on fire. When Sum 41 said all killer no filler they could have been describing this monumentally great debut album. The album is fun, funny, furious and simply fantastic. Punk this good can hit harder than a heavyweight boxing champion. It is riotous, rebellious and roars like a hungry punky pop lion. This is a banger that is definitely a contender for album of the year! Thank you to Eddie at Vinyl Eddie for sending this record my way!

If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog. You can also follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.

Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.

 

‘Reflecting Light And Causing Chaos’ – Dead Rat Society May 28, 2025

Filed under: Album,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 1:37 pm
Tags: , ,

Every so often an album comes along that grabs you by the (metaphorical) balls and doesn’t let them free until you submit to its masterful musical charms. ‘Reflecting Light And Causing Chaos’ by Dead Rat Society is such an album. It burst into the atmosphere on 2nd May like a comet seeking to plough a hole from one side of our planet to the other and it has been on constant rotation here at Mayhem Towers. Dead Rat Society are based in London and blend so much into their glowing musical palette; Grunge, Punk, Metal, HipHop and EDM and probably more. They have started to pick up a lot of Radio play, particularly from John Kennedy of Radio X. He played their single “Girls” six times and gave it the X-Posure ‘Big One’ and they appeared on a coveted spot on his ‘The Remedy Night’ on March 25 this year. Dead Rat Society are Ed Harris (Vox, Guitar, Keys, Songwriter, Lyrics), Ben Potter (DJ, Producer, Songwriter), Connor Firmston (Bass) and Will Piney (Drums). Apparently the band began as a bit of a musical joke which experimented with influences from Prog Rock and old school horror films.

The album opens with “The Night” a wonderfully warped clarion call for what is to follow. It is like the Prodigy but in a much darker universe than this, the constant siren drone starts off giving harsh undertones before it becomes a part of you. I love the inclusion of a piece of the Star Wars Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme), subtle and perfect. Lyrically this bunch are like 21st century Beat Poets, the line “You’re a lowercase phrase hanging with the capital” speaks volumes in just a few words. “Can You Feel It Your Face” follows and it has a jolly happyish synth riff coupled with a vocal that is haunted with anguish. One of the vocal hooks asks “are we the last of our race”. Sadly I fear that we are, but Dead Rat Society will be featured heavily on my Armageddon playlist. The band are not brand new to With Just A Hint Of Mayhem, we reviewed their single “Come With Me On A Spaceship” back in January and that song is the third track on the album. Back then I said that I think we should all get on their spaceship and zoom to Planet Dead Rat! Lyrically it is pertinent and amusing. I particularly love “Have you tried looking outside?..everything is really Fucked“. This is electro punk garage hiphop and that is just for starters. They also incorporate some wonderful voice samples. Well they may not be samples, but either way they work. Ed from the band said this of the track “The song is mainly about inviting someone to let loose, pull away from the drudgery of modern life and relax for a bit. Away from all the lame shit. Escapism through and through by any means necessary!” I stand by every word I said back then!

In a strange coincidence, for me anyway, “Needed The Sun” opens with what sounds a little like the bass opening of the northern soul classic “The Night” by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Well a loose coincidence but it does share a title with this Dead Rat Society album, right. Anyway “Needed The Sun” has a gorgeous obsidian dark jazz feel to it. It is also hard to ignore a song that opens with “I’m a fuck
But I hide it well“. On “Immaculate Vibes” I sensed a Scroobius Pip influence coupled with a Sleaford Mods feel. After a few listens I think “Shoplifters Welcome” might be my favourite track on the album. It has an insistent jagged electro feel throughout and a lyric that venomously spits anger. It also boasts words that IDLES might be proud of. The band go into an almost ballad type mood on “Leave With Care” where the emotion and pain is almost palpable. I feel that I am almost suffering with them. Not many bands or artists can pull off such a great modern blues feel as Dead Rat Society do on “Little Victories”. It reminded me of the best of Iggy Pop and Nick Cave.

“Bounce Back” is a great track that in my opinion is begging for a great dance remix, maybe by Rizzle Kicks? Of all the tracks here I feel that this one ought to be all over the radio. It is funky, catchy and seeps into your mind and stays there rent free. The album closes with “Dream River” which washes over you with dreamy calm, like a tranced out Stone Roses, but with much better vocals. The only negative comment I have is that it is way too short at less than 30 minutes, but then again, fuck it, just play the damned thing twice. Sum 41 once called an album ‘All Killer No Filler’ and that phrase describes ‘Reflecting Light And Causing Chaos’ by Dead Rat Society perfectly. Can I add that the album cover is probably the best use of a baby on a cover since Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ back in 1994. Honestly You are an absolute fuckwit if you listen to this and don’t rush onto Dead Rat Society’s spaceship and blast them into your life. If you don’t then I suspect that your brain might be missing!

If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog. You can also follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.

Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.

 

‘Naked Truth’ – Autumn Dawn Leader February 4, 2025

Filed under: Album,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:09 pm
Tags: , , ,

‘Naked Truth’ is the new album from dark, emotional gothic troubadour Autumn Dawn Leader. It is out this Friday, 7th February. Could this be the last release from the Song Mistress? She describes it as “The final album, and the best. This is the magnum opus. This is the legacy. This is the statement of a lifetime and the work of a life“. Personally I hope it isn’t really the end, but in the meantime let me give you my thoughts on ‘Naked Truth’. The album kicks off with “How It Ends” which has a feel of an operatic Siouxse Sioux song with supremely good prog overtones. It is a dark and slow building song and the lyrics are extremely well crafted. Especially the couplet “What began a thought. Is now a beligerent monster.” I have heard many songs about getting old, but none quite as impassioned and brutally honest as “Five Decades”. It was Autumn Dawn Leader turning fifty last year that inspired this track and she said this about it “Life begins at 40′ and other such bullshit that gets said. You’re told that you give less fucks and that you become comfortable and confident in your own skin. Yeah, well, last year saw me turn 50. I’m still waiting. We’re also told that ‘life is short’, and it really, really is NOT.” I agree with much of this, although I do have far less fucks to give now I am 66!

The Songmistress visits her primal force with the magnificent multi-octave epic “Howl” a sound that draws on Kate Bush’s proggiest moments. The emotion is turned up high on this one. At one point in this tune she sings “We howl – and call it music“. Well maybe she does howl but it is a beautiful howl, what a voice! “Howl” is probably my favourite song on this collection. “Up In Smoke” starts with a slow bluesy riff and has a 70s classic rock feel. I know it isn’t about that, but it has made me want to revisit ‘The Mothman Prophecies”. I believe that “The Picayune Dimension” might be the strangest track on the album. Autumn’s deep contralto voice is both mournful and hopeful. The music is full and sometimes choppy. Lyrics like “I take a bus across town to another dimension. I’m not quite sure what I’ve found, nor why I am chosen” add to the sense of strangeness and maybe a vein of foreboding. Picayune, I think, means something of little value or significance. But on listening to this album it is clear that Autumn Dawn Leader has great value and significance. Some songs that talk about sex are often awkward and trite, but “Life Is Unkind (Sex Is Sublime)” is so much more than that. Musically and vocally in places it sounds like a dark Abba from another dimension. It is cinematic in its ambition and needs to be played on the audio equivalent of Imax. Autumn Dawn Leader had this to say about the track, “Unless you are asexual, sex IS a love language and a HEALER. I will die, happily, on this hill. Whether you’re a sex-enthusiast, like me, or not, I hope you’ll enjoy the song. Thanks to all the great artists who added their voices to this sex-positive anthem and made it what it is“.

Chris Conway provides backing vocals and plays magical Theremin on “Slivers & Splinters”. This one made the hairs on the back of my neck rise and tingle. The state of the broken heart is almost palpable. There is a wonderful Latin feel to “I Told The Ravens” and it is probably the happiest track on display here. Autumn apparently loves corvids (a.k.a. the Crow family), especially ravens. I believe that love is very clear on this majestically moving song. The title track, “Naked Truth”, for me speaks of a relationship gone wrong, one that just never worked or a love unrequited. You could slice the exposed emotion on this tune. Have there ever been many songs that openly sing about polyamory? Probably not, but on “Limitless” Autumn Dawn Leader does exactly that. She said this of the song “This is an anthem of Polyamory. Polyamory isn’t about sex; it’s about LOVE. It’s about knowing that you can be in love with more than one person at a time, but instead of hiding it or denying it, you embrace that humans were not meant to be monogamous creatures and there need be no moral wrongness“. The counterpoint vocal from Becky! gives an almost Fleetwood Mac aura. The album closes with the poetic prose and nature sounds of “Splendour”. This could be remixed into an incredible chill out track or maybe even a goth dance anthem. I love this album. If Jim Steinman had ever decided to produce a more considered and less bombastic album than the type he did with Meatloaf and Bonnie Tyler and employed Philip Glass and Brian Eno it might have sounded a little like ‘Naked Truth’. If you love great music give this album a try!

If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog. You can also follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.

Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.

 

‘Der Traum Über Alles’ – Avalanche Party February 3, 2025

Filed under: Album,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 11:04 pm
Tags: , , , , , , ,

As a friend of mine once said, “there ain’t no party like an Avalanche Party” (thank you Mr. P) and now it is time for another huge party with the AP boys. Their sophomore album is upon us, well it will be this Friday. It is called ‘Der Traum Über Alles’ which I believe translates to “the dream above all”. Their debut album hit the world in 2019 and they toured like fuck until that big disease with a little name (to paraphrase Prince) stopped them. When the world began crawling out of that bad Covid bubble they hit the road again. This time across Europe in support of …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. Eventually the band found themselves in the Joshua Tree National Park in California at Rancho De La Luna studio in 2022 to record their new album. The record was engineered and produced by Dave Catching who has previously worked with Queens Of The Stone Age, Iggy Pop and the Arctic Monkeys.

The album opens with the towering (no pun intended) “John Coltrane’s Moscow Skyscraper”. the song starts in an almost chilled, subdued way and then transforms into an absolute monster as it moves to a mountainous, manic, maniacal conclusion. This is 100% psych-metal with a slight hint of LCD Sound System, but much, much darker. Jordan’s voice sounds like it might be careering up from the depths of hell and the sound might be the band smashing Satan into tiny pieces. Next up it is “Nureyev Said It Best”. This is a humongous tune. It has dance, it has rock, it has psych, it has funk and so much more. It kicks off with mountainous drumming from Kane which seems to be influenced by native American and African Burundi drums. This band sounds like no other right now, Jordan’s vocal take here is perhaps his best yet. Jared’s guitar work feels like it has travelled here from the 1970s and he has then turned it into a 21st Century master class in axe-manship. The whole track is cinematic in scope and it rocks like an absolute bastard. “No Neutral” is classic Avalanche Party and I can see this becoming a regular in their live set. The drums are thunderous and the warped psych guitar and keys give the track a depth that would hit the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

With “Shake The Slack” the band have uncovered their talent for dirty garage blues. It has a punky psychedelic dance edge. This chorus will rock the fuck out of every venue they play this year and many years after! The metronomic drum beat and languid bass and guitar that opens “Ecstasy” is hypnotic and Jordan’s vocal makes the song sound like U2, and I mean that in a good way, like back when U2 were fucking good. The first single to be released from the album was “Serious Dance Music”. You probably wouldn’t play this song at a work event! I sense an Amazing Snakeheads influence in this fast-paced, frenzied, frenetic, funky, feral, fest of a song. The band all seem to be in top form, especially Kane’s drumming. The music on “The Noise Between Us” is frantic and Jordan’s vocal is urgent and emotional. It has an 80s dark rock feel that borders into goth territory. It slows briefly about two thirds of the way in and then has a magnificent long fade with some simple but perfect keys from Glen. This is one of my favourite tracks in this collection.

Joe’s bass feels ready to punch the fuck out of you when it opens glam blues stomper “Slinky”. The brass has a kind of T. Rex vibe and the counterpoint vocal adds a layer of dark weirdness. The 60s psych organ sound and freak out saxophone bursts make this one really stand out. “Chainz” opens with a series of explosive sounds that might make it a rock ‘n’ roll equivalent of Tchaikovsky’s ‘1812 Overture’. But then it moves into a slow groove which would be a perfect soundtrack to one of the creepier scenes in a Wes Craven horror film. The band show their punk and post punk credentials on “Target”. With maybe a bit of added Tin Machine. This is another banger that I believe will be a staple of the band’s live set. The album closes with “Collateral Damage”, a danceable slice of weird twisted pop. It has a deeply dark stygian funk underpinning it through bass and drums that feel like they emanate from somewhere on Dante’s journey below. The keyboard hooks mesmerise while the guitar riffs overpower the listener with ease. Jordan’s vocal is magnificent. The track takes some of the finest tranches of alternative 80s rock and early goth and repurposes them into a shape that perfectly fits the 21st century.

I know it is only February, but Avalanche Party have set the bar for album of the year and they have set it higher than the peak of Sagarmatha! There is no sophomore slump for these boys. ‘Der Traum Über Alles’ is even better than their debut album ’24 Carat Diamond Trephine’. I will be playing the hell out of this album. Especially after my hand made coloured vinyl version arrives!

If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog. You can also follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.

Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.

 

‘Rave Immortal’ – ALT BLK ERA January 26, 2025

Filed under: Album,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 8:00 pm
Tags: , ,

It is less than 18 months since I became aware of ALT BLK ERA and what a time that has been. From my perspective I featured them on the Mayhem Virgins series in August 2023. That same month I was lucky enough to see them on the BBC Introducing Stage at the Leeds Festival. I was even luckier to get to interview them that weekend. They have made regular appearances in the Mayhem Charts. From Nyrobi and Chaya’s perspective they have had some amazing festival appearances and support slots (Tom Morello for one). They have collaborated with some great artists including Delilah Bon and Wheatus. This year they are on the BBC’s ones to watch list and will be heading to SXSW. On top of that they have released some incredible singles and the spectacular ‘Freak Show’ EP. Well now the debut album, ‘Rave Immortal’ is here on Earache Records!

The album opens with “Straight To The Heart” a song which has a great 80s pop club night vibe about it with some urgent drum ‘n’ bass beats underpinning it. Next up it is one of a clutch of great singles included in the collection, “Come On Outside”. It has a riotous, riff-laden grunge feel to carry its positive message. The chorus is alive and takes up residence in your brain almost immediately after the first listen. Chaya wrote the song for her sister Nyrobi and had this to say about it “For two years my sister was bed-ridden with a chronic illness that shot waves of pain throughout her body. The doctors couldn’t figure out what it was. I thought I was going to lose her. Thankfully, with lots of support, she is slowly getting better and she now has strong medication that helps her to manage the pain. This song is my message for Nyrobi, for you, and for anyone else who has faced physical or emotional challenges.” There is more great drum ‘n’ bass on “Crashing Parties” coupled with some perfect and incessant synth riffs. It opens with a warped heavenly angelic chorus. Throughout the track the vocals are the star though.

“My Drummer’s Girlfriend” is full of pop-driven punk licks and a gorgeous vocal delivery which reminds me of the Tuts and Kate Nash. Those riffs are mesmeric and stitch their way into your brain easily. I am not sure I am a fan of the potentially insane, drug-fuelled titular girlfriend in this story, but I am a huge fan of this infectious, electric firecracker of a tune. It is not on the album but check out the slacker punk reworking of this track that the band did with Wheatus. “Hunt You Down” has a wonderful dark Madonna feel to it with some stalker lyrics that border on the right side of creepy. this starts off with a deliciously dark vibe. It builds into something that would make Depeche Mode jealous. ALT BLK ERA seem able to tackle any genre. “Upstairs Neighbour” is a classy rave anthem which would sit perfectly along the best of the Prodigy. “Come Fight Me For It” is like an electro powered X Ray Spex which retains the punk attitude. I reckon Poly Styrene would have loved this.

“The track “Run Rabbit” is driven by a persistent and incessant electro riff overlaid with Nyrobi and Chaya’s urgent vocals. Lyrically it feels deliciously dark. This has the makings of a huge club banger, we need an extended remix! The video is rather spiffing too and features ALT BLK ERA running around in the dark to great effect. The opening of “Catch Me If You Can” has a horror film overture sound which I love. The vocals are melodic metal sung over a creepy orchestral synth background. The title track is saved until the end and what a way to finish it is. This is the best of the Prodigy, the Chemical Brothers and Enter Shikari. With some tasteful old school game sounds in the tune. This is rap for the 21st century and an anthemic call to arms for Generation Z and Generation Alpha. Chaya and Nyrobi Beckett-Messam are still young, but as a first album this is a masterpiece. I am excited to hear what they do next. But in the meantime I am sure that ‘Rave Immortal’ will be included in many albums of the year list later this year. It will definitely be on the Mayhem list! If I have any criticism it would be that at around 32 minutes it is quite short. But it doesn’t feel short when you listen to it and some of the greatest punk albums were around that length!

If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog. You can also follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.

Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.

 

‘Faux Animaux’ – Blue Violet January 22, 2025

Filed under: Album,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 3:49 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

Blue Violet have been championed by some influential radio stations including BBC 6 Music whose Steve Lamacq described them as “a cocktail of Iain Banks and Jane Austen”. I can see where Steve was coming from having witnessed Blue Violet for the first time back in November. To continue Lamacq’s literary comparison theme I would add Douglas Coupland. Their music has a dark and mysterious pop rock style and is loaded with great hooks. Their new album has arrived and what a delight it is! This sophomore release follows their debut, ‘Night Calls’, from 2022. It contains six very classy songs issued as singles across 2024 and 2025. The collection opens with the current single “Sweet Success.” It is a well-crafted slice of electro glam pop. This track draws on a diamond-studded history of some fine British bands like Depeche Mode and the Eurythmics. It has a mesmerising marching synth riff. “Imagine Me” has a darker feel which borders on Sisters Of Mercy territory and incorporates some fabulous synth riffs. Lyrically it seems to be a tale of stalking after a failed relationship. Although I could be wrong. If you like 60s influenced pop rock, then “Survival” is for you. I love the 21st century girl group feeling it has. It features a fabulous everything but the kitchen sink psych-out towards the end. The percussive opening on “Talking To You” is deeply hypnotic. Sarah McGrigor’s voice here made me think of Sarah Nixey, vocalist with cult British band Black Box Recorder. One of my favourite tracks on the album is “The Librarian”. The slow brooding vocal from Sam Gotley with a gorgeous counterpoint drew me back to those heady days in the 90s when Babybird first broke through.

Photo by Stuart J Clapp

Musically “Cold Hearts” feels a little like the Police’s “Every Breath You Take”, but it is so much more with a beautiful lamenting vocal performance from Sarah. Warped guitar riffage and crunchy synth sounds open “Boogie Shoes”. I think this should have been a huge hit when released as a single last year. Can we get it out there again? How can a lyrical refrain like “dance for pleasure, dance for pain” be ignored? Another single, “Fire” has a wonderful funk injection and is a song that it is impossible not to move your body to. “Teeth Out”, what a great title that is, oozes magnificent dark balladry. If a new take on ‘Twin Peaks’ ever materialises (RIP David Lynch) this song must be on the soundtrack. A paean to equality and being who you are is what “Barefoot On The Seine” is. It hides it’s darker moments behind some of the sweetest pop sounds imaginable. The title track, “Faux Animaux”, closes the album. It is cinematic and neo-classical in scope and ambition. It draws on the essence of later period David Bowie in its desire to be different. Of that final song Sam Otley says “The fake animals could be seen as the powers that be, leading us down paths that result in us ignoring our more natural instincts, often making decisions without our permission.” It is a great way to end such a fabulous album.

If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog. You can also follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.

Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.

 

‘Pillow Talk’ – Party Nails January 9, 2025

Filed under: Album,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 7:24 pm
Tags: , , ,

Elana Carroll from Chatham, New York is a singer-songwriter, artist, musician and producer. She goes by the name of Party Nails. She has just released her third album, ‘Pillow Talk,’ on Eye Knee Records. The album kicks off with “Same Old Song”. It is a mid paced ballad style song. It evokes early Taylor Swift and oozes emotion, from blues to ultra happy. This is one of the three singles taken from the album so far. Next up is another single, “First Responder”. This is a gorgeous slice of percussive synth pop with some great vocals. I really love “D.R.A.M.A.” it is a quasi rap beat driven pop construction. It reminded me equally of Kelis, Gwen Stefani and Charli XCX. The call and response elements and harmonies with Emma Kern elevate this song into something very special. If you like classy pop with 80s synth styling you will love “Movie Scene”. I can imagine Abba covering this, or if not the Swedish megastars then maybe Erasure! The dark synth riffs of “Bull In A China Shop” add some great musical tension to a fabulous brooding tune. This track was included on the 2023 Party Nails EP ‘Someway Somehow’.

Another single, “Trigger Warning” is next and this is probably my favourite track on the album. It features some delightful electronic sounds. These perfect sonic explosions ebb and flow like the best early Giorgio Moroder forays into pop music. Party Nails finds time for a mostly acoustic guitar driven ballad with “Dirty Water”. This showcases the fragility that Elana can project in an almost ethereal vocal performance. If grunge had embraced more synth sounds, it would have sounded like the title track of the 2023 EP ‘Someway Somehow’. This track would have led the way. The hard edged riffage is offset by a voice that has the clarity and honesty of Karen Carpenter’s best moments. “Do You Know How?” gives the album its most rock moment. There is a frantic, frenetic feel that harks back to the early releases of Lene Lovich. The incessant post punk style riff is mesmerising. The album closes with “Puppet.” It feels like a Stevie Nicks outtake. But it’s one that Stevie really ought to have used. The PR blurb that arrived with the album for review described it as “a genre-bending timeless yet forward thinking album featuring an intoxicating mix of retro synthwave, futuristic electro-pop, and lush indie rock.” It is hard to disagree with that description. It is only January 9th as I type this, but I believe this is a potential contender for album of the year!

If you are in the USA you can catch her supporting Bad Bad Hats on the following dates. You should go it will take you away from the prospect of four more years of the orange moron. Can we get Party Nails to come to the UK please?

Jan 09 Los Angeles CA at The Echo
Jan 10 San Francisco CA at Bottom of the Hill
Jan 11 Sacramento CA venue TBA
Jan 12 Bend OR at Volcanic Theatre Pub
Jan 14 Baker City OR at Churchill School
Jan 15 Tacoma WA at Elks Temple (Spanish Ballroom)
Jan 16 Seattle WA at Barboza
Jan 17 Portland OR at Mission Theatre
Jan 18 Boise ID at Neurolux
Jan 19 Salt Lake City UT at Kilby Court
Jan 21 Cheyenne WY at The Lincoln
Jan 22 Denver CO at Lost Lake Lounge
Jan 23 Colorado Spring at Vultures
Jan 24 Omaha NE at Reverb Lounge

If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog. You can also follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin,

Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail