The album has ten songs and comes in at just under the half hour, it was released March 28 and is now out on all platforms.
I’ll start by saying that I am absolutely in the mood for doing this. There is a line in the song “Young Guns” by Wham that goes, “If you’re happy with a nappy, then you’re in for fun.” I had a wonderful baby in December but after a day fully in charge doing mum roles, I admit that passing him over to my partner when he came in was such a relief! I am not entirely happy with a nappy! But what better time than to sink into a hot bath and play CJ Wildheart’s new album before writing up this review? I once fell out with another magazine for admitting I sometimes review music while in the bath. I was told it was disrespectful – I beg to disagree!
We spoke to CJ recently for a feature piece I will link at the end of this but, briefly, he was Co-founder of The Wildhearts along with fronting Honeycrack (with Willie Dowling) and The Jellys. CJ continues his musical journey with this new release; let us see where it takes us.
The album tells the story of the gambles taken in life and has been produced with long-term collaborator and friend Dave Draper (Terrorvision, They Fell From The Sky), and with Jason Bowld (“Bullet For My Valentine”) on drums. The official release date of “SLOTS” is March 28th, 2025, the album available on CD and Vinyl from https://cjdevilspit.com
My review:
“Another Big Mistake” opens with the thunder of drums and loud guitars, plenty of melodic punk, energy and angst. Turn it up loud enough and you blow away all your troubles and the bubbles away from the bath! Time to get out your air guitar and pogo around whatever room you are in. It deserves some radio play on commercial radio this one.
“Beg” is a high-energy 2.38 minutes. It’s not as commercial as the opener but leads with a raucous chorus. It slips into the album okay.
“The Baddest Girl in the World,” on the other hand, we all loved here at the magazine. It’s everything I want from a modern slab of indie punk.
CJ said of this song, “I love a good anthemic, chanty, shouty, sing-along chorus; I try to make all my songs have that attitude. The Baddest Girl In The World was inspired by the girls I used to see at the bars and clubs when I first moved to London in the 80’s. My teenage head was well and truly turned and the song is a nod to all the alternative girls out there. The ones bad enough to be different and stand out from the norm.”
“Coma” I enjoyed the guitar sound on a strong, pounding energy. It’s a song in a hurry.
“The Kids” is another one of those tracks that kicks the door down quickly and takes us to a decent chorus that will have the crowd jumping around and having a blast, music to forget the world with for a few minutes.
“In the City” runs in at 2.18 so it doesn’t mess around. It delivers a strong guitar hook and lead and, again, the drums kick some decent ass.
“Bent” is a heavier punk track on some acid. Less me this one, but it should keep fans of CJ pretty happy.
“You Got the Best Part of Me” I liked a lot more. There is more melody infused in the sound for this one and the vocal performance is very strong, cutting the mustard just fine. The chorus again has a great sing-along quality to it. One for the live set, methinks! It was also the new single, released on the same day as the album.
“SLOTS” does a great job as well and introduces a slightly psychedelic aspect to the album. It’s a heavy track with a chorus that bites nicely and some great guitar breaks.
“I Don’t Know What it Is” completes the album with a rocker and a few wolf whistles, strong chorus again and some guitar hooks that show CJ is enjoying life again.
Standout tracks: “You Got the Best Part of Me,” “Another Big Mistake,” and “The Baddest Girl in the World.”
In summary: My review praises CJ’s latest punk-driven album for its high-energy tracks, catchy choruses, and strong guitar work. “Another Big Mistake” and “The Baddest Girl in the World” are highlighted as standout anthems full of attitude and nostalgic flair. The album blends melodic punk with bursts of indie and even psychedelic elements. While some tracks like “Bent” may not appeal to everyone, others like “You Got the Best Part of Me” shine with sing-along potential and powerful vocals. Overall, it’s a fun, fast-paced collection built for loud speakers and live gigs.
You can stream music from CJ Wildheart here
And we hope you liked the review, dear reader! If you did, please check out the other pages of the magazine; we have many great features, merchandise pages, shops, editorials and even a poetry page. Content is free here, but we work hard for you, and to support the magazine, please show your appreciation on the support button below and buy me a coffee!
By Stevie Ritson
CJ will be supporting Michael Monroe in May (dates below):
May
22 – Newcastle, University
23 – Glasgow, Slay
26 – Southampton, The 1865
27 – Brighton, Concorde 2
28 – Bristol, Thekla
Artist website here