With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

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

“Heard It All Before” – NATI July 14, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 6:37 pm
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Can a quiet Scottish seaside town produce a great musician and great music? The answer is a resounding YES on the evidence of the new single from NATI! The song is called “Heard It All Before” and is a brilliant rocker of a tune. I sense elements of Fleetwood Mac and Heart and above that the magic ingredient is NATI herself. Her voice is powerful and magically infectious. Meanwhile, the guitar sound on this track is magnificent. The bass riff is stunning throughout and drives the song like the fine purr of a finely tuned Rolls Royce. Lyrically I believe the song is about not standing for excuses and associated crap in a relationship, taking back control. As a pointer to her new EP, this song suggests that the future will be very bright for NATI!

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“UNDER” – Ghost Arcadia June 13, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 3:16 pm
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London-based four-piece rock band Ghost Arcadia is back in the classy rock groove with their first single in 14 months, “UNDER” which hit the streets last month. It is an emotional-sounding, anthemic song with a huge sound to match the clearly massive ambition it carries. There are titanic guitar riffs, harmonic and guttural vocals from Reuben Beau Davies, and some cinematic synth patterns. This might seem a bit pop driven at times, but underneath it all it is as heavy as fuck! The band spoke about the inspiration for the track “It’s an exploration of the everyday battles we face within ourselves. From addiction to self-doubt, we all face battles at some point in our lives. The song conveys the message that even when you are at your lowest, there is still a way out; there is still a light left to guide you from the “Under”. Sometimes, we must dive into our darkest depths before we can finally find a way out.” The song is a great taster for their new EP ‘What We Become’ which will arrive later this year!

Click here to listen to “UNDER” on Spotify!

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“Funny Dad” – Vacant Weekend June 1, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 12:13 pm
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Manchester-based Cumbrian band Vacant Weekend has released a new single, “Funny Dad” following in the footsteps of their emotionally frantic single “Talk” from April this year. They have a summery indie-pop, post-punk type of vibe with some delicious light-funk riffs. “Funny Dad” is another emotionally driven tune and the band describes it as “the closest thing we have to a ballad“. The lyrics are a wonderful winding road of stream-of-consciousness words and singer Alex has a singular and highly original style. The opening lines are simple and at the same time bordering on genius, “We have no reason to be sad
In spite of everything I once had. I have a really funny dad. Tell a joke to me when I’m feeling really bad” The band said this about the track “It’s just raw emotion poured into sound, and that sort of thing is only able to happen in a room you really feel comfortable being vulnerable in – being friends for most of our lives, it’s a privilege we’re always afforded. After that, the lyrics just fit into place, they’re so sparse but it’s as if most of what needs to be said is already present in the music“. This is the second song to be released from their EP which is due out later this summer on the Cosmic Glue label. If this song does not feature on one of your summer playlists I have to conclude that you have no heart or no taste, or possibly both!

If you want to catch them live check out the dates below;

14th June, Newcastle, The Globe TICKETS

16th June, London, The Windmill TICKETS

17th, Liverpool, Jacaranda TICKETS

19th June, Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club TICKETS

20th June, Kendal, Glisky TICKETS

21st June, Manchester, Low Four TICKETS

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“Never Going Back Now” – Moving Mirrors March 5, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 11:05 pm
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Moving Mirrors do heartbreak in style with the new single “Never Going Back Now”. At times it is reflective of classic period Saint Etienne with instrumentation akin to Gene at their most emotional. The bass is almost hypnotic and the guitar weaves around the vocal and melody with a skill that not many players have, Christo McCracken clearly has a bit of Bernard Butler about him. Sophie Lentle’s voice and overall vocal delivery are heavenly and enigmatically ethereal. I love this song and can see it soundtracking lazy, thoughtful days in the garden in summer!

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“Honey” – Georgia Reed February 15, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 3:36 pm
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We reviewed “Back In Time“, an earlier song from Georgia Reed last month and now her new tune, “Honey” is with us. This a gorgeous slab of haunting electro-pop that talks of the scepticism Georgia faced when relocating to the UK from her native Australia. It has an underlying dark and gothic vibe, but like with “Back In Time” the music holds some hopeful and positive tones. Ultimately it is about having faith and confidence in what you do and not letting those who doubt you get in your way. At times I can detect the softer side of Steve Strange’s Visage and the darker side of Erasure. Georgia has a distinct vocal style that is hard to compare with anyone else and that is why her songs have such emotion and atmosphere. This is the third single released that is building towards an EP due out on 13th March. I am looking forward to the EP and with every song I have become a bigger fan of Georgia Reed!

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