With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

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

‘Faux Animaux’ – Blue Violet January 22, 2025


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.

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“Gravity” – Lacuna Coil January 9, 2025

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 8:11 pm
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Italian metal legends Lacuna Coil have just released “Gravity.” It is the fifth single from their forthcoming album ‘Sleepless Empire.’ The album will be available via Century Media Records. I believe that the song explores the rise and fall of life, the importance of resilience and fate. I felt that it conveys hope and that things will get better if you stay strong. The band said this of the new song: ““Balance is so difficult to keep as we navigate through desperate times, feeling lost and gasping as we ask for help. How do we deal with tough times? Do we ask for a hand? Or do we isolate ourselves from everything else to recollect in our own misanthropic golden cage? I hope you will love Gravity as much as we do and that it will help you to reflect on the time we have left and how to use it wisely.” The video that accompanies the release is monumentally epic, I love it! Live your life well good people and soundtrack it with Lacuna Coil!

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‘Evil, Hate Filled Female’ – Delilah Bon September 14, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:55 pm
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Delilah Bon’s sophomore album is about to hit the streets, will it be one of those difficult second albums? Read on to find out! Album opener “Hey World” kicks off with Delilah introducing herself to the world over a synth-like orchestration and repeating a piano pattern reminiscent of Eminem in his prime. If you are new to Delilah this might me more to you, but either way it is a perfect start. next up is the previous single “Maverick” from March this year on International Women’s Day. It is another incendiary blend of rap and metal on which Delilah is in explosive form. Once again misogynists will be pissed off, but who gives a fuck about them? Delilah has this to say about “Maverick” “It is a song about self-worth and reclaiming your confidence, reminding yourself that you belong in the rooms you don’t always feel welcomed in. It’s about looking yourself in the mirror and believing in your power without needing the approval of others.” As always Delilah is absolutely on point as the definition of maverick in my dictionary is “an unorthodox or independent-minded person“, Delilah Bon is clearly both of those!

The title track “Evil Hate Filled Female” came out in May this year. It is an anthemic metal masterpiece with buckets of punked-up funk underlying it. Some of the drum fills sound like a full-on machine gun attack. Meanwhile, Delilah’s words spit more venom than an Inland Taipan. If Delilah’s anger and passion could be bottled it would power the planet for ages. She unleashes her deepest rock growl on this track and it will scare the living fuck out of misogynists, homophobes, and all haters! The metal riffs are more metal than most metal bands could even hope to achieve. The “la la la” hooks were so obviously created in pop heaven. Some of the music in the verses has a warped far-eastern horror film soundtrack feel to it. If music could kill sex offenders, abusers, and misogynists then “The Internet”, would be a lethal weapon. Delilah has some sharp punk and rap influences but since her arrival, she has developed into one of the most original artists on the planet. This was the fourth single from this album. It is a brooding dark beat with the best Delilah ciphers so far. Speaking in the guise of female-hating keyboard warrior Harry Dick Delilah bares her fangs and aims her venom at the vile individuals that spout pathetic and worthless hate. For lines like “All these people offended by transgenders send your children to church to god-loving sex offenders” it is way above the competition and the glorious dig at professional sweaty nonce Prince Andrew is sublime. I love the way that Delilah continues to turn all the shit she takes and uses it to fight back.

From the fly buzzing sound that introduces this song to the weird horror vibe of the music to the deeply personal and inspirational lyrics, “Finally See Me” is Delilah Bon at her best. The song deals with Delilah/ Lauren being bullied at school and appears to be a paean of her triumphing over those who bullied her by becoming the incredibly talented artist that she now is. She passionately stands up for the bullied, the misfits, and the outcasts and she deserves huge respect for that. Musically this shows her starting to cipher as well, if not better than, Eminem. Meanwhile, this track has a feel of Jonathan Davis, Korn frontman about it. Delilah takes on old-school rap bragging style with “I Am The Best (Ask Your Momma)” and it works perfectly, this epitomises perfect rap with a sublime pop style. She has just released a video for this song and it is one of her best film moments! I was reminded of Eminem by the beats and instrumental hooks used on “Villain” but lyrically it is pure Delilah. This one has a dark musical tone and the music moves nicely into a creepy clown carnival vibe toward the end. “My Girlz” is a bouncy, brass-laden track with Delilah delivering one of her best rap performances to date.I also felt that this had some hidden Beyonce style lurking in the background.

I can imagine all the grown-ass misogynists getting their panties in a twist if they ever hear “Grown Ass Men”. When Delilah is angry everyone needs to fucking listen! “Freak Alert” has a great electro sound underpinning it and a repeated bass pattern that stays with you long after the track has ended. What is it with high-profile artists, well almost any artists, being so fearful of speaking out against the likes of Epstein and his ilk? Delilah has no such fear and she lets us know on the stunning “Epstein”. Meanwhile on “Volatile” she is brutally honest about how this world makes her feel but on top of that she ciphers about what is wrong with the state of the world. When her rhymes express anger the Bon bile is directed at misogynists and haters everywhere. (“Cos Mr Industry thinks that every woman’s the same”). This song is a slow and dark metal rap that only Delilah Bon can do as adeptly as this. It describes many of her negative experiences in the music industry. Sadly we don’t live in a perfect world, but if we did then “Drop Dead Delilah” would be a huge hit. I love the carnival sound from the keyboard. If you like a warped undercurrent of electro-ska punk and horror comics then the album closer “Committed A Crime” will be right up your street, it is weird, wonderful, and shows just how good Delilah is.

Delilah Bon’s sophomore album, “Evil, Hate Filled Female”, tops the heights of her first and is easily a contender for album of the year! Sexist pricks in the music industry and in society should fear the level of venom directed at them throughout the record, but sadly they will not, so it is up to all of us who believe in fairness and equality to join the Bon Bon Battalion and fight for it. Delilah is an inspiration to women and oppressed minorities everywhere, despite her own fears. Let us all stick up for those who are oppressed and can’t stick up for themselves. Let us be there for Delilah too. Minorities, those of you who have been abused and put down, we’ve got your back, and we stand up for Delilah’s punky, rebellious clarion call. Men, we know you mean well when you say, “It’s not all men”, but that doesn’t change anything does it? I am an old white male and I support equality for women, LGBTQ+, and all decent humans.

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“Glasgow” – Pale Waves July 15, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 3:47 pm
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Photo by Kelsi Luck

Pale Waves are back with the second single from their forthcoming album ‘Smitten’ which hits the streets, via Dirty Hit, on 20th September. The song is called “Glasgow”, a city which many have sung about including ABBA, The Snuts, Hue & Cry, Aztec Camera, Deacon Blue, Lewis Capaldi, Belle & Sebastian, Jessie Buckley, Mogwai, and many others. But this tune from Pale Waves is up there with the best of them. It is full of gorgeously recorded jangly indie-pop guitars and leaves you with a smile on your face despite the lyrics being a little sad at times. Singer Heather Baron-Gracie says “Glasgow is my favourite from Smitten, it’s about leaving someone because you know it’s no good for either of you anymore. It somehow breaks my heart but also makes me feel euphoric at the same time.” This could easily become a real summer anthem, not just for 2024. Can you imagine the hooks and melodies ringing around festival fields? I certainly can! The band has a tour in support of the album too, check out the picture below for details.

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