Dublin based grunge fuelled indie outfit HAVVK return with ‘On Time’ a single that hits with both visceral force and sharp emotional clarity. True to form, the band fuse raw intensity with thoughtful songwriting, delivering a track that feels urgent, restless, and uncomfortably relatable.
From the opening moments, ‘On Time’ wastes no energy with a pounding snare driveing the song relentlessly forward, anchoring a rousing, ascending guitar motif that builds tension with every repetition. The instrumentation feels tightly coiled, as though it’s constantly pushing against its own limits, perfectly mirroring the song’s thematic core. HAVVK have always excelled at balancing heaviness with melody, and here that balance feels especially refined.
At the centre of it all is vocalist Julie Hawk, whose piercing delivery cuts cleanly through the mix. Her vocals carry both frustration and resolve, never slipping into melodrama but instead channelling a sharp, controlled intensity. There’s a sense that every line is being chased, just slightly out of reach, which adds to the track’s underlying anxiety. Hawk sounds commanding yet vulnerable, capturing the exhausting mental loops that define modern ambition.
‘On Time’ explores the endless lists of goals and resolutions we impose on ourselves, the pressure to always be improving, achieving, and moving forward on schedule. Rather than offering easy answers, the song sits with that discomfort, acknowledging how self expectation can become its own kind of weight. It’s a theme that feels particularly timely and HAVVK handle it with a refreshing lack of pretence.
On Time packs a serious punch, both sonically and emotionally. It’s a fierce reminder of HAVVK’s ability to turn internal turmoil into something cathartic, loud, and undeniably compelling — a track that lingers long after the final note fades.
‘On Time’ comes flying in at an 8 out of 10
Julie explains about that track:
“This song is about the endless lists of goals and resolutions we make for ourselves, many of which have arbitrary deadlines attached to them. I think the older I get, the more I realise that you have to pick and choose the things and people that you put your energy into, and that there will simply never be enough time to do all of things without it all coming crashing down on you. ‘On Time’ is trying to capture that feeling of being right on the crest of a wave of busyness, the ‘last wave’ where you think surely it will be calm seas after this. But there’s always another and another”
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Reviewer – Ian Mc Donnell @mcgigmusic