Really Good Time are a new band for me. I had never heard of them before doing this review. I am very intrigued by them, and not just because of their name.
From Dublin, Ireland, Really Good Time have certainly made a name for themselves. They’ve gone from hitting SXSW and being named in The Great Escape’s First 50, to sharing stages with Franz Ferdinand, The Murder Capital, and Gurriers, and playing a slot at Iggy Pop‘s In The Meadows Festival, for which Iggy curated the lineup himself. The band are booked to play with Super Furry Animals and Baxter Dury later this year.
Let me introduce this Dublin power trio to you. We have Wastefellow on vocals and guitar, Ado Tornado on drums, and Jacque le Coque on bass.
Affirmations is set to release on 7th August with 11 tracks, the last one being a secret track.
On the album, the band say: “‘Affirmations’ is a collection of songs about turning inwards when this fresh hell becomes too much to process. Why not fixate on some petty little anxiety instead? You’ll probably…feel better? It’s easy to look at the horrors unfolding around the world right now and just switch off, give in to your own powerlessness and say ‘fuck it, it’s all fucked anyway’. The culture and the attention economy that suckles it almost seems to demand this from us. That feeling must be spat out and rejected”.
The band released their first single ‘Shit One‘ on 11th November 2025. Second single ‘Bob Dylan Was On Pawn Stars in 2010‘ arrived on 10th March 2026. Third single ‘Do It‘ followed on 8th May 2026. Latest single ‘The Love Song‘ released on 7th July 2026.
Since releasing ‘Shit One‘, Really Good Time have earned an ever-widening circle of support. From being championed on radio by Steve Lamacq (BBC 6 Music), John Kennedy (Radio X), Gemma Bradley (BBC NI), and RTÉ 2FM’s Dan Hegarty and January Winters, to getting consistent praise from Rolling Stone UK, CLASH, The Line of Best Fit, Far Out, Joe.ie, Dork, DIY, and The Sunday Times.
Sophie O’Donovan directed the music video for ‘Do It‘. The track was also used on RTÉ’s World Cup coverage.
First of all, the band’s name is very accurate. You definitely have a really good time while listening to them. The band have proved how far they’ve come with their new era. Mixing post-punk, alternative rock, art-rock, and energetic 2000s electro, this is such a unique blend! The whole album gives night out vibes at an alternative club, especially the track ‘Do It‘. It’s an album you can’t sit still to. You can jump around, dance, tap your feet, anything! But you definitely can’t just stay still. Energetic, explosive, raw, catchy, hypnotic, heavy, powerful, the list goes on! A lot of passion, emotion, and attitude are present throughout, using black humour and anxiety to relate to us on another level.
‘On Dublin Bus‘ is the first track and is the perfect opening to introduce the album. Trying to escape other people on a crowded bus by gluing yourself to your phone, this track describes it well. I get extremely anxious on public transport, especially when it’s crowded, so this track relates so hard.
‘Do It‘ makes you want to jump around and dance. You really can’t sit still for this one. So catchy, powerful, noisy, and hypnotic, you can get lost in this track. However, it is also very relatable. It’s about impossible tasks, trying to do everything you have been told to do in life, and never achieving what was promised.
‘The Love Song‘ is the first song sung by bass player Jacque le Coque. It starts with an air raid siren and then all of a sudden you’re hit with that explosive energy. It has some lighter melodic moments within the track, but still holds that high energy. It gets faster towards the end with lots of speedy and powerful guitar riffs, strong basslines, and drum beats hitting hard!
Finally, ‘Peter Hayes Isn’t Who He Says He Is‘ is the secret track on the album and what a track to end the album on! It’s only a minute long, but still has that high energy, rawness, and hypnotic vibes throughout.
What an experience that was! I have never heard a band like this before. So different and surprising. I actually really enjoyed it. If you’re intrigued to find out what a mix of post-punk, alternative rock, art-rock, and energetic 2000s electro is about, then check them out and hear for yourself if this is the band for you!
Really Good Time live:
Sunday 30th August, Dublin, Collins Barracks (with Super Furry Animals and Baxter Dury)
