Mayhem & Me - Mayhem & Me

Mayhem & Me

Mayhem & Me
self-released; 2015

3.9 out of 5

By J Simpson

Hobart, Australia's Mayhem & Me play a dark, moody, mysterious folk music. Or perhaps "acoustic music" would be more apt. Mayhem & Me build their midnight journeys around a framework of acoustic guitars, which are fleshed out with subtle flourishes of percussion and electric bass.

Mayhem & Me's playing is a model of restraint. Their self-titled album Mayhem & Me begins with "Ribs" - all creeping ominous ringing acoustics and Majella Eales' distant-but-still-emotional vocals. “Ribs” serve as both structure and framework for the skeleton while also acting as protection for the soft squishy innards. The acoustic guitars serve as a minimalist skeleton, which Eales' vocals bring to spooky life.

Precision-tooled minimalism is easy to achieve with technology, but it is a credit to Mayhem & Me that they pull it off with nothing but fingers, steel and string. It requires a level of discipline that really makes this short EP shine. They sound well rehearsed, tight and focused. They are clearly committed to their musical mission.

If you like the mystical folk music of The Incredible String Band, Pentangle, Bert Jansch, Sandy Denny or John Fahey, you will fall under Mayhem & Me's spell. The vocals, however, are of a darker hue with Eales' vocals having been compared to Joy Division's Ian Curtis. The acoustic instruments seem to carry with them a feeling of pastoral ritualism - the sound of gathering beneath the moon on a starless night. The gloomy gothic timbre of the vocals, however, speaks to post-industrial/post-punk ruin & decay.

The overall effect is of a moonlit séance amidst the skeletal ruins of an abandoned concrete factory. As we get further and further from the concrete reality of the industrial revolution, we are likely to see more and more of this ancient/modern fusion. The old ways are coming back, as we try our best to heal this fractured world we're living in.

It is to Mayhem & Me's credit that they are using tools, tactics and techniques from both to cast their unique spell.

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