SINGLE REVIEW: JUSTINE BEVERLEY - SECOND LOOK

Another new name to #TEAMw21 is Justine Beverley however a combination of being both French and based out of Glasgow was an intriguing prospect in itself before we'd even heard "Second Look". Our faith was rewarded within seconds with a raw electric guitar coming out of one speaker and a rich warm organ sound from the other, set things up nicely for this retelling in excruciating detail, of a disastrous friend of a friend date.

It is often said that first impressions are made within seconds and the only vaguely positive aspects form this encounter are dealt with in the opening two lines, after that it is downhill all the way. There is a definite charm about the way Justine shoehorns the words of the third line in, speeding up the early syllables to then take her time over the later ones.

The final line of the opening verse almost drips with disdain, the word "find" conveys every inch of disgust being felt.

"I walk in the bar and there you stand

Denim jacket matching your blue eyes

Nothing endearing about your confidence

You drink the cheapest lager you could find"

Things go from bad to worse as it seems that Justine has ended up meeting one of the worst representatives of the male species, self obsessed and ignorant. The percussion moves to a more powerful backbeat, and Justine has all our sympathies as she looks for ways to escape the situation.

"You seem engrossed in what you’re saying

Making fun of how I’m speaking

My eyes scan the room for an escape

Searching for a familiar silhouette"

It all boils over into a justifiable expression of frustration in the chorus

"Cause I dressed up to the nines today

You didn’t even take a second look

And I don’t care what you’re gonna say

I guess you can take a second look

But I don’t think you know

And I don’t think you care".

The second verse sees the arrival of an additional guitar firing out riffs, while the lyrics grow ever more cutting. That second "ever" is not a typo, it is reinforcing just how bad this meeting has gone.

"Honestly it don’t matter you’re such a twat (haha)

Our paths won’t ever ever cross again

Two streets is just enough to create a gap

As long as we don’t ride on the same train"

The final verses see the arrival of Erin Ponsonby's backing vocals, which add an additional soulful quality to proceedings and conclude with one of the most definitive put lyrical put downs ever, just in case that was any minuscule of scope for a misunderstanding. Musically the band are almost muted, to just a keyboard - it highlights Justine's vocals even more and gives additional force to the feelings being expressed.

"You’re not the one I should be sitting with

Just a mere replacement for what should have been

You made me waste so much time

Thank God I’ve got plenty on my hands

You don’t even know your own mind

I never want to see your face again"

The band return for a final run through the chorus which concludes with a final "Bye-ee" bringing this whole episode to a close.

Justine Beverley, part French, part Glasgow, total Americana - go check out!!!