With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

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

“Freak On” – Brooke Law November 1, 2025

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 12:33 pm
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London born singer songwriter has just released a new single and it has the makings of a classic. Brooke Law is new to me but this won’t be the last time I listen to her music. She has a great voice which draws on the likes of Alannah Myles and Alanis Morissette. The song has a perfect blues rock vibe with an injection of 21st Century country styling and makes you want to move. There is a powerful rawness to her delivery and she knows how to write a great song. Lyrically it is top class, my particular favourite lines are “Love is a messed up circus, The world is a bowl of a goldfish, We’re all freaks in a freak show” This song was written a few years ago with Ben Earle of the Shires. While it has had a few outings at her full band shows it has not been recorded and released until now. I need to see her playing live now!

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“Justin’s Funeral” – Hand Gestures October 12, 2025

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 8:02 pm
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With a title that names someone’s funeral this new song from Brooklyn’s Hand Gestures was never going to be a supremely happy musical ride, but in many ways it is. I have always seen a funeral as a celebration of someone’s life. I believe that the titular Justin’s life is being celebrated and is particularly clear in the line “I guess that Justin gets to crowd surf for one more night“. The framing of “teenage moments that shaped me” gives it a narrative quality that many listeners can relate to, especially if they have their own past regrets or pivotal adolescent experiences. This is a delicate and gorgeously ambient lo-fi track which took me back to some of the softer moments from Mark Everett.

This is the latest single from their forthcoming self titled album which is out on 31st October on Campers’ Rule Records. On the strength of this one song, and a sneaky listen to some of their other stuff I now count myself as a fan of Hand Gestures.

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“None The Wiser” – Ava Renn September 21, 2025

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 3:19 pm
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The second single from Ava Renn’s debut album ‘Lightning Child’ is called “None The Wiser” and is a glorious dark, bluesy, garage, warped pop song. In simple terms the phrase ‘none the wiser’ means “to not understand something, even though it has been explained.” But as far as Ava Renn’s new song goes I completely understand that it is an absolute cracker of a song and deserves to be heard. To my ears there are elements of Meredith Brooks and Alannah Myles in Renn’s delivery. But this is a million miles from any kind of copy, Ava Renn will become a musical force to be reckoned with after her album is released in November! Get on the Ava Renn journey now, you will not regret it!

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“Girls With Gills” – Chloe Moriondo September 16, 2025

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 10:17 pm
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“Girls With Gills” is a masterpiece of weird electro pop from American singer-songwriter Chloe Moriondo. If Lady Gaga had a secret daughter then she might well be Chloe Moriondo. Back in the days when the pop charts really mattered this song would be number one for weeks!

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“Woman Of Faces” – Celeste

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 9:50 pm
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Celeste received the Rising Star of 2020 Brit Award five years ago. Since then she has cut a wonderfully original furrow in the music world. She has the vocal dexterity and range of Ella Fitzgerald and the open-hearted emotional soul that Amy Winehouse had. “Woman Of Faces” makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The orchestration is expansive, cinematic and heavenly. This song is the title of her new album which is due out in November, based on this track it will be stunning!

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“A Comet For Joshua” – Nick Hudson

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 8:52 pm
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If you like Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright then I think that you will declare undying love for Nick Hudson’s new single “A Comet For Joshua”. Nick is also known as the front man of the Academy Of The Sun, but his solo work, including the new song, is impeccable and sublime.

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“Hotmail” – Teenage Tom Petties

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 7:33 pm
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Teenage Tom Petties return with a great new single, “Hotmail”, out now on Safe Suburban Home Records. It is classic Teenage Tom Petties lo-fi garage rock that feels like Beck Hansen took over the controls of Weezer and made a song. I am off to listen to this again while I check my Hotmail inbox! Forget your emails and check out this great song!

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“I Never Miss Him Anymore” – Jessie James Decker and Joss Stone September 15, 2025

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 3:49 pm
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“I Never Miss Him Anymore” oozes perfect old school soul and blues heartbreak. Think “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Chicken Shack from 1969 which featured Christine Perfect (later Christine McVie) on vocals. The emotionally charged voices of Decker and Stone on this beautiful track show clearly that they are in denial and in fact really do miss the titular him! This sophisticated and classy tune was written by Johan Fransson, Audra Mae, and Caroline Watkins. This performance is a perfect blend of emotionally charged soul and heartbreaking country vibes. This is how soul should sound!

Decker had this to say about the partnership, “I grew up listening to Joss’s records, and I’ll never forget watching her perform barefoot at the Grammy’s, thinking she was the coolest and had such a powerful voice. I remember telling myself, ‘One day I’d love to sing with her.’ She’s as real as it gets, and working with her has been such a joy. She’s truly a talent, and this experience proves that if you manifest something, it really can come true. I manifested us working together—and here we are.” Meanwhile Stone said “I met Jessie on a plane randomly. I had no idea she had such a lovely voice at the time. I just knew she had a light, Jessie was so warm and welcoming. My husband finally clued me into the fact that she can seriously sing. We kept in touch and now we get to collab on this song. What a blessing. I love these moments of magic we get to have in this life. Goes to show if your door is open then goodness can come flooding in.” I reckon this is one of the best songs of the year so far.

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“Los Angeles” – Big Thief September 14, 2025

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 10:37 pm
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“Los Angeles” by Big Thief is a stunning and soulful stream of consciousness which made me think of R.E.M and Bran Van 3000. In fact Big Thief’s new release would segue perfectly with Bran Van 3000’s 1997 smash, “Drinking In L.A.” Check out “Los Angeles” today, you won’t regret it!

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“Cowboys Come Home” – Halle Kearns

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 4:31 pm
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Sometimes you really need a bit of country music in your life don’t you? Halle Kearns’ new single “Cowboys Come Home” is a song that you probably can’t do without. There is an underlying sense of dark hoedown party overlaid by Halle’s gorgeous voice. The fiddle playing took me way back to the finest songs from the Charlie Daniels band. I can’t get “Cowboys Come Home” out of my head, and frankly I don’t want to!

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