Short Reviews #3

I have seen four different movies in the past two weeks, and I know I won't get time to do full reviews of them. So here are some mini reviews of movies that I have seen in these past few weeks!

Rogue One
Rating: 4/5 Stars

This new Star Wars movie proved to be a load of fun, but not without its flaws. There were a lot of great things about this movie. One of them is several great characters. I absolutely loved Donnie Yen as Chirrut (who had a cool line in "I am one with the Force, the Force is one with me"), Wen Jiang as the awesome Baze and Alan Tudyk as the hilarious droid K-2SO. All these characters were great contributions to the movie. Though we didn't know much about them, they were very interesting to watch. Another great character is of course Darth Vader. He was in the movie for a sadly short time, but the scenes he was in were absolutely perfect (including one particular scene which I consider to be one of the best Star Wars moments ever). Another positive of this movie was how much weight the movie had. You felt that the mission that was being taken had serious weight to it; it was a story that needed to be told. There was definitely a darker tone to this movie in comparison to most other Star Wars movies, and it worked well. There were some other things about this movie that didn't work as well for me. Jyn Erso and Cassian are not particularly interesting main characters. I didn't really see why Forest Whitaker's character was needed, either. The beginning of the meanders a bit. The beginning also suffers from a very awkwardly done title screen and the abruptness of no opening crawl. Still, "Rogue One" is a worthy movie into the Star Wars universe, being more like what people were wanting the prequels to be.

Nocturnal Animals
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

This is one of the most interesting movies I've seen all year. I liked how there was one main story and then there was a story within a story. The themes of the story are also pretty intriguing in discussing revenge and love. There is also some pretty great criticism of modern art that I absolutely loved watching. The acting in this movie is top-notch. Amy Adams does great as Susan Morrow, a woman who covers up her sadness by being rich and surrounding herself with higher up people. You do feel for her, despite her not being a particularly good person. But the real standout performance (as usual) is Jake Gyllenhaal as Susan's ex-husband Edward Sheffield (he also plays Tony Hastings in the frame narrative). Michael Shannon also deserves a mention by putting his all into the no-holds barred cop Bobby Andes. I could tell he was having a lot of fun in playing that role, and I felt the character's power and menace in every moment he was screen. Another thing that works about the movie is its thriller/suspense elements. While Susan was reading this horrific story her husband had written, you could feel the tension and fear she was feeling inside. The story comes off as threatening in a way, and every time it cut back to Susan, you got the impression that maybe someone was watching her. There were some parts of this movie that didn't work. The beginning shot of the movie was just bizarre, and, while I get what it was trying to do, the weirdness still got the movie off to an odd start. Also, some of what the movie is saying about modern art comes off as a bit pretentious, because this movie, much like modern art, requires some interpreting. At the end of the day, you don't really know too much about either main character, as well. Still, this movie is one of the most unique watches I've had all year,and I never once lost interest, so that at least deserves a lot of merit.

 Moana
 Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

 Disney has released another classic movie that I think fits right in with the likes of "Aladdin", "Beauty and the Beast", and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". So many things stand out about this movie. One of them is the wonderful, Pixar-level animation (John Lassetter helped produce this movie, so that explains a lot). The landscapes are absolutely gorgeous, and the water especially looks realistic and lifelike. The first 20 minutes of the movie have some of the best animation I've seen in a Disney movie. Another positive of the movie are the characters/voice actors. Moana is a refreshing main character who is instantaneously likeable. Her independence is inspiring, and she is very dynamic. She's probably one of my top 3 favorite princesses of all the Disney movie. It also helps that she's voice-acted by an actual Hawaiian, Auli'i Cravalho. Her voice work is great, and she also has a wonderful singing voice. Dwayne Johnson is awesome as Maui. Even though we've seen a character like this before in Disney movies, Johnson puts a refreshing spin on his character type. I couldn't picture anyone else voicing this character. The songs in this movie (written in part by Lin-Manuel Miranda) deserve mention as well. Almost all of them are pretty freaking awesome (with the exception of the out-of-place "Shiny"), especially "How Far I'll Go" and the extremely catchy "We Know the Way". There isn't a whole lot to complain about in this movie. I suppose that it's easy to see that Disney has a checklist of all the typical things that are supposed to be in a Disney princess movie (catchy songs, a funny animal sidekick, a likable but flawed character). Also, Tamatoa felt like an unneeded character. I didn't really get his presence; it felt totally out of left field. Otherwise, this is a superb Disney entry, and one that I'll be watching repeatedly for sure!

La La Land
Rating: 5/5 Stars

I'd heard great things about this movie, and it DID NOT disappoint. As someone who loves theatre and musicals, this movie is like a dream come true. This is one of the best musicals I've ever seen, and it deserves every award it's getting. Let's talk about our two leads, both of whom are equally awesome in their respective roles. Ryan Gosling as Sebastian makes for an excellent lead. He's hilarious and charming, and you really feel for him in his pursuit of following his dream. He also has a great singing voice, sounding particularly good in "City of Stars". The best performance of the movie is undoubtedly Emma Stone as Mia. Her character really feels like the one we're supposed to follow, as we see all the struggles she is going through. We feel frustrated and sad along with her when she doesn't get the roles she wants, and then we cheer for her when she makes progress. Stone's singing is excellent and emotional in all the right ways. This role may be Stone's best performance, and she has a lot of good work under her belt. There's also some fun moments from J.K. Simmons that are comedic gold. Gosling and Stone work perfectly off each other; I could feel their chemistry throughout the whole movie. It was easy to root for these two characters to be together, because whenever they were with each other, they were at their happiest. Another positive of this movie is just how beautiful it looks. Los Angeles has never looked more gorgeous with the way its cityscapes and landscapes are shot. The colors of the city and land also give the movie a dream-like feel, which works perfectly for the movies thematic arc of following your dreams. The way the lighting and camera work was done in the movie made it often feel like you were watching a theatrical performance, which put a huge smile on my face. Director Damien Chazelle clearly knows how to do musicals, because this movie was expertly directed, from the way the music numbers were shot (with appropriate amounts of camera cuts and long shots) to the pitch-perfect pacing of the movie, slowing down and speeding up when it needed to. I also loved how the movie was basically an ode to those who follow their dreams. It's a beautiful message that needs to be heard more often: follow your dreams no matter what the odds are. If you can't tell, I love this movie and everything about it. Please go see this movie; it's one that shouldn't be missed.

Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2016

This year has been a slightly discouraging one in comparison to 2015. The pop charts this year felt more repetitive than ever, with a lot of top hit songs feeling like slow, tedious tracks that were hard to get through. The upbeat ones often verged on annoying, and it felt like some artists (such as Drake) were getting way too much exposure to the point that it was easy to burn out on just one artist. But, as someone who is trying to be more open-minded in the music world, I have found some songs on the pop chart that are actually good. So, here are my top 10 best hit songs for this year!

10. "Don't Let Me Down"- The Chainsmokers ft. Daya

 One thing is for sure: The Chainsmokers had quite a year. Their single "Closer" has been on charts for 19 weeks straight. That is quite a feat. I honestly don't think the song deserved that much exposure though, as it didn't sound like anything unique and Halsey is not a vocalist I care much for. But "Don't Let Me Down" surprised me. It's actually a pretty refreshing EDM song with some positive lyricism as well. Daya's strong and smooth vocals work consistently well with the backing beat. The drop is also interesting and danceable.

9. "Million Reasons"- Lady Gaga

Finally, a song that I've found by this artist that I think was deserving of being in the Hot 100. I've never been the biggest fan of Gaga, as I know that she is a talented singer, but instead has wasted her talents on cliched pop trends for years. That was the case until her release this year "Joanne". This album was a pleasant surprise from Gaga, as it used guitar very frequently, and Gaga didn't let her voice be bogged down by electronic flares and obnoxious lyricism. Most of the songs on this album utilized raw instrumentation, and Gaga's vocals actually sounded incredibly realistic too; it didn't seem like the studio interfered with them much. That's especially apparent on the touching single "Million Reasons". The song finds her praying to God to help her through a tough relationship ("I bow down to pray/I try to make the worst seem better/Lord, show me the way/To cut through all his worn out leather"). I've never felt that Gaga has been more sincere than in this song, and the backing acoustic guitar as well as Gaga really showing her vocal talent off only help to serve the sincerity.

8. "Cheap Thrills"- Sia

I'm glad that Sia has continued to get exposure in popular music. I feel like she's one of those artists that could take the trend of music in a different direction given time. This is evident in the plain old fun song "Cheap Thrills". Now the lyrics aren't really anything to write home about, but they do at least abandon the sentiment that drinking and money are the only ways to have fun in life: "But I don't need no money/As long as I can feel the beat/I don't need no money/As long as I keep dancing". It's refreshing to see an artist giving plenty of reason as to why people don't need materialistic things in order to have fun. Just dancing can be good enough. Yeah, it's a bit cheesy, but it brings the feel of 80's songs back, and it's obvious that's the inspiration Sia got based on her music video. So many songs that were trying to be fun failed, but this song did it while having a good message that didn't beat you over the head.

7. "All Time Low"- Jon Bellion

A lot of songs this year have used the same  word over and over to justify a "chorus". Every time, it came off as annoying and anger inducing. I must have heard work well over one thousand times this year, to my absolute displeasure. Bellion's single follows this trend, but it does it in a pretty inventive way. First off, the song is an honest look at someone who has been put in a pathetic state after a break-up. Bellion doesn't try to sugarcoat his emotions either, using strong words and metaphors to show his brokenness ("I, was the knight in shining armor in your movie/Would put your lips on mine and love the aftertaste/Now I'm a ghost, I call your name, you look right through me"). The chorus is where this song really sold me, though. It does repeat one word (low) over and over, but it just works. Instead of repeating it in the same vocal styling, Bellion manipulates the way he says "low" at several moments in  the track. The repetition of the word doesn't feel throwaway or wasteful either, as every time Bellion says the word, he puts some real emotion into it. Bellion has the formula to making a catchy song, and I can see him having more success in the future.

6. "False Alarm"- The Weeknd

I am not a big fan of The Weeknd in general. I find him to be one of the most arrogant posers in the music industry. His voice is good, but he undermines it by talking constantly about his stardom as well as explicitly detailing all his sexual escapades. The guy just seems to be full of himself in both his music as well as in real life. But I can't help it, I really enjoy "False Alarm". It has some intriguing verses which give a lot of great imagery about this girl who seems enticing but is really dangerous: "All red dress with the devil eyes/So obsessed with the camera lights/You love her, but you can't deny". The chorus feels huge and thrilling, especially when Abel lets loose this wild howl-like noise. The music video serves to add to the thrilling feel of this song. In fact, I recommend you watch the video along with the song, as it adds to the experience, and is one of the most impressive music videos I've seen all year. I'm glad this song has gotten popular off "Starboy", as it feels like one of the more interesting songs this artist has done.

5. "24k Magic"- Bruno Mars

Ok, let's get one thing out of the way: yes, this song is clearly building off of the success of "Uptown Funk". It has a very similar feel, from Bruno shout/singing his vocals, to the usage of big band instrumentation and lots of gang vocals. But still, the song does something that a lot of pop songs couldn't do this year: it is pure FUN,  nothing more, nothing less. The lyrics certainly do have Bruno Mars bragging about his wealth and what not, but knowing the other music this guy has made, the song feels more like an act where Bruno may even be poking fun at himself. It's clear this song isn't meant to be taken seriously. And still, it's done well. The big band sound really piqued my attention, and Bruno's vocals sound as awesome as they always have. He doesn't even have to really try, it seems, and the raw talent he has will still shine through nearly any song. This track is just irresistible, and one that will get ingrained in your head for sure.

4. "Cold Water"- Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber and MO

I never thought I could find myself enjoying anything that Justin Bieber has been involved with. But he mildly sparked my interest with a few tracks from "Purpose" where he abandoned his formula of trying to appeal to just young teenage girls. This was the album where he was finally beginning to show some musical talent as well as some decent lyrics. But it was this song where I feel as though Justin Bieber has sounded at his best. He is really helped by the talented electronic group Major Lazer. Their talent shines through consistently on this song, and their presence never becomes overbearing in any way. The way they use electronics contribute rather than taking away from the emotion of the song. Bieber's voice effectively compliments the electronics, and he sounds truly sincere singing some admittedly good lyrics like "And if you feel you're sinking, I will jump right over/Into cold, cold water for you/And although time may take us into different places/I will still be patient with you". MO, a singer I've never heard from before, also has a nice contribution in the bridge of this song. I'd love to hear more from her for sure. This song has stayed on the pop chart for a really long time, but I never got tired of it if I heard it. In fact, I liked it more every time I listened to it.

3. "Adventure of a Lifetime"- Coldplay

Overall, I wasn't too big on Coldplay's newest album. Now, it wasn't in any way awful, but it couldn't compare to all the emotional highlights of "Ghost Stories". However, "Adventure of a Lifetime" is an absolutely irresistible song. Coldplay really uses the upbeat pop/rock tendencies of this track to their advantage, as the little guitar riff that is done several times in this song gets stuck in your head. That's a good thing, thankfully, as the riff sounds really good, and it put a smile on my face every time I heard it. The song feels legitimate in its expressions of simply living life to the fullest. It did feel like a breath of fresh air after lead singer Chris Martin had been drowned in so much sadness in "Ghost Stories". Out of all the songs on the album, this is the one I can recommend the most. It has a real sense of fun to it, and it doesn't take away from the band's talent.

2. "I Took a Pill in Ibiza"- Mike Posner (Seeb Remix)

From the first time I heard this song, I knew I was going to like it. After listening to it more and really dissecting how the lyrics worked with the remix, I came to love it. I know a lot of people have this argument that the remix version of the song really took away from the emotion of the old version. Let's first discuss what the song is talking about. Now, it is for sure that some people will see this as a fun, catchy, danceable song. And it certainly can be that if you're not paying attention. Look a little deeper, and this song is actually a very sad reflection on what fame has done to Posner. He says repeatedly "All I know are sad songs" because fame has made him lose family, his ability to be in a good relationship, or even really finding happiness in writing songs. All of this because of the empty highs he found in drinking, sex, and drug addiction. Posner is really warning people in this song that they "don't wanna get high" like him, because "you don't wanna ever step off that roller coaster/And be all alone". This is some of the most compelling lyricism of the year. You don't usually see songs like this getting attention. And that brings us back to the real question: is the reason why the remix is popular is because it is faster and more catchy? Partly, yes. But, I also think this song accentuates Posner's emotions better than the original. The original song feels very generic and boring, just a sad guy with processed vocals playing an acoustic guitar. The remix honestly feels more emotional, with the drop expressing feelings that Posner's vocals simply couldn't. I don't feel as though it's justifiable to say the sped up beat cheapens the song.  It makes it better, and if the song really is being danced to, that makes the tragedy of the song more apparent.

1. "Heathens" by twenty one pilots

Not only is this undoubtedly my favorite hit single of the year, it also happens to be one of my favorite songs of the year. Everything about this song works extremely well. The darkly cinematic feel of the song is seriously awesome and pretty chilling. Also, Tyler's vocals clash perfectly, especially as he makes his vocals sound creepy and mysterious in many parts. Where the song really excels is in its clever lyrics. Most people are only gonna see the lyrics at surface level, and that is fine when the song is used with "Suicide Squad". However, if you look deeper, you'll find the song is actually twenty one pilots discussing their own friends. With the band having gained so much popularity within just a year, it's clear that not only them but their fan base would have exposure. And, as one of those people who discovered the band a year ago, I can agree with many that the fan base of the band is not very attractive. They don't welcome people in, and are often very critical of them. They call new fans "fake", and it comes across as extremely hateful and pretentious. TOP have bravely addressed this topic, even putting themselves as partly to blame for their fans treatment of others: "We don't deal with outsiders very well/They say newcomers have a certain smell/Yeah, we have trust issues, not to mention/They say they can smell your intentions". The dark feel of the backing music in addition to Tyler's menacing vocal performance really accentuates the hateful things the Clique has said to other fans. It's really clever, and I think that a lot of people haven't noticed that. My favorite moment of the song is when there is a huge guitar riff along with a vocal distortion that says "watch it". It sounds so cool and is chilling. The song really explodes there, with the continuing use of the guitar riff as well as some awesome electronic effects. This is definitely one of the band's best songs they've ever done. I hope that TOP uses this sound more in the future!

"Arrival" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 5/5 Stars

As far as this year has gone, there have been a lot of refreshing movies. Unfortunately, most of them have gone almost completely unnoticed. But one that was getting a surprising amount of buzz was the movie "Arrival". This surprised me, as independent films like this one rarely get this much attention. But, the movie did have a lot of big names acting. What piqued my interest even more was seeing that Denis Villeneuve was the director over this movie. This guy is incredibly talented, releasing some of the best movies I've ever seen such as "Prisoners", "Enemy", and my personal favorite by him "Sicario". So I was definitely excited for this movie. The basic premise of the movie is that aliens have invaded Earth. The military hires linguist Louise Banks (played by Amy Adams) and scientist Ian Donnelly (played by Jeremy Renner) to try and decipher why the aliens have come to our planet.

On the surface, this movie sounds deceptively simple. There have been a lot of different alien invasion movies, some pandering to audience expectations (like the popcorn flick "Independence Day") and others surprising audiences (such as "Signs"). I'm happy to say that "Arrival" was not at all what I was expecting it to be. If audiences are going in expecting an action flick with a lot of explosions and blood, then they're going to be disappointed. This film instead ends up being a quiet, intelligent, and compassionate contemplation on the human condition as well as time. The thematic arc of this movie is powerful, but it isn't hammered into your head, either. It lets you think about its message for yourself long after the film is over. Not only is this film different in its theme, but it also takes its time with establishing its style. The visuals of this movie are breathtaking. When I first saw how Villeneuve decided to depict the alien vessel, I was blown away. It looks frightening and fascinating at the same time, and the usage of some incredible fog effects adds to the whole look of it. The aliens were also depicted very creatively, not at all like I've seen them portrayed before. I won't spoil too much about their appearance, but they do come off as scary in their appearance but also oddly human in some intriguing ways.

Let's discuss in some more detail the thematic arc of this movie. Now some people are not really going to appreciate how the theme is presented. I will admit, long after seeing the movie I had to think about whether everything in the movie properly added up or not. Using time as a theme can be a very tricky thing, and if it's done wrong, it can ruin the basis of your whole movie. But the way Denis did it, I felt as though it worked. I was left with some questions as to whether I was interpreting the movie correctly or not. But, after considering it, I think that Villeneuve wanted the audience to be left with questions. That way the movie could continue to be discussed. The complexity of time is not something that can be answered so quickly, and this movie shows that concept over and over in immensely clever ways. In fact, time does not seem to matter so much to the characters as just appreciating the life you're a part of does. Too often, we as humans worry about time rather than just living our lives. "Arrival" touchingly suggests that maybe we don't have to consistently worry about our lives, but instead take things as they come. There's so much more that could be discussed in regards to this idea, but it would take way too much time. Another theme honed  in this movie is how language doesn't have to be a barrier; it can unite us. Louise talks over and over about how language has been the one thing that has been able to change the course of human history. It has been able to prevail over violent acts. Even the aliens seem to be able to connect in some way to the linguistics that Louise practices. This theme felt just as powerful as the theme of time, and it is something that can bring us all together. As someone who is a lover of language, Villeneuve talking about language in such a loving way really connected with me.

The acting in this movie only served to strengthen it. Every performance here was top-notch; no one felt like they were bringing the movie down. The clear best performance was Amy Adams as Louise Banks. This is easily the best performance of her acting career. She really plays this character in a touching way, giving this character a lot of compassion for everyone surrounding her, including the aliens. But what really sold me on Adam's performance was the vulnerability she gave to her character. I always felt as if Louise was quietly suffering throughout the movie (and when you see, the movie, you'll be able to sympathize with her reason), and for that reason, her humanity shone throughout the whole movie. When  Louise finally finds some happiness, even if the happiness is bittersweet, we fee relieved and happy for her. This character is so easy to connect to, as she shows all the potential that people can have. Jeremy Renner also gives a great performance as Ian Donnelly. Though this character didn't have quite as much complexity as Louise, Renner still gave this character a lot of likeability, especially in his humor and chemistry with Adams. He worked really well with her, and you were really rooting for the relationship between these two characters. Forest Whitaker as Colonel Weber has a Boston accent that takes some time getting used to, but he too gives a great performance. He does want to just kill the aliens, but once you understand this character, you can sympathize with his reasoning. He and Adams' character have an intriguing dichotomy, and while the movie refutes Webers' ideals about the human condition, it still gives his point of view validity, which is rare to see in a movie. Those are the three main performances of note, and there are plenty of other great side characters  in the movie that give superb performances as well.

"Arrival" is a surprising movie, but I say that in the best way possible. I have never seen an alien movie that has so much on its mind. It gives interesting complexity to its human and alien characters. The themes in this movie are beautifully compelling and easy to connect to. I can't  recommend this movie enough, as it is different from any other movie released this year. It won't have your typical blockbuster movie tendencies, and that's exactly what makes it look so good. With great acting, compelling themes, and beautiful visual style, you don't want to miss this movie. It may just be the best movie of the year!

Icon for Hire "You Can't Kill Us" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 2/5 Stars

Icon for Hire is a band that I've had a complicated history with. Their debut album, "Scripted", still remains to be one of my favorite debuts done by any band. Ariel's incredible vocals really show through on this album. Pretty much ever song has a great driving rock sound with some unique pop flare that works. There are many memorable songs on the album such as "Get Well", "Off With Her Head" (my personal favorite), and "Up in Flames". Their second album came out surrounding controversy about the band saying very explicitly they didn't want to be called a Christian band anymore. A lot of bands like to call themselves a band of Christians, but Ariel seemed to almost be rejecting of the faith entirely.  I didn't have a huge problem with that controversy. My biggest issue was that the album was a little bit disappointing. It did have the band's best song to date in "Critics and Cynics", as well as a few other fun tracks like "Pop Culture", "Counting Hearts", and "Nerves". But the album was not as good as their debut otherwise, having several cliched pop/rock tendencies, with some awkward rapping from Ariel. It wasn't entirely bad, but it wasn't entirely great, either.  I totally hated the band's post-record label debut single in 2015 called "Now You Know". It had a horrifying feminazi backbone. There is a hate-filled message tearing down men in and outside of the music industry. The song did not work for me at all, and seemed to be against what the band stood for previously. So, I was definitely hesitant going into IFH's new album, "You Can't Kill Us".

Unfortunately the negatives outweigh the positives frequently through this album, but let me get started with some positives. There are some gems in this album that shouldn't be missed. The opening track "Supposed to Be" combines what what best about the band's debut "Scripted" and their self-titled second release. Putting the best of those two releases together in one song makes for one of IFH's best songs to date. The track is pure fire, especially with its driving guitar rhythm, and Ariel's super talented vocals really belting out the lyrics with passion. The lyrics are very compelling as Ariel is asking in the perspective of another person who she's supposed to be without depression in her life: "Tell me who I’m supposed to be now/Make me better/I can’t stay halfway dead forever". A common theme of this album is rejecting the negativity you used to live with (Icon for Hire's negativity being their dispute with Tooth and Nail records, which made them go bankrupt), and trying to lift yourself up to a better place. That theme is repeated too much throughout this album, but it works at least in this song. The title track feels like it could fit right onto "Scripted", as it's the track that hits the hardest. The guitar riff is memorable, and Ariel's vocals still work excellently with the harder rock feel. "Under the Knife" is an emotional track that addresses people who cut. I could see the main message IFH were trying to bring across here more than any other track. This song felt honest, and I understood how it could connect with other people. Although I'm not usually a big fan of Ariel's rapping, her flow in this song works better than any other one on the album, because it feels like Ariel has a real passion for what she's talking about.

Unfortunately, those are the only tracks on this album that I feel I can recommend. Most of the other songs on here can range from filler to cringe worthy in both the musical and lyrical department. Let's get the unmemorable ones out of the way first; there's not much to say about them. I respect what IFH was trying to do with "Get Well II", but it simply can't compare to the more emotionally connecting original song. The song felt more like fan service than anything. The theme was the same as the original song (faking happiness because that's what everyone else is comfortable with), but it doesn't hold much weight. I didn't necessarily hate this song, but it didn't stick out. Another unmemorable song comes in "Invincible", which is as typical a pump-up song you can get. It tries to come across as big by being loud in the vocal and musical department, but that doesn't make for a good song. In fact, that's what a majority of the album suffers from: trying to make emotion from being loud. Other unmemorable tracks appear in "War" and "Too Loud" (which, ironically, uses technical effects to make Ariel's voice sound soft).

The rest of the tracks on this album are insufferable to me. "Demons" has an absolutely bizarre backing beat that does not work with the vocal performance. The content of the song is as generic as it gets, using demons as a metaphor for addictions. I know that IFH can be more creative than that. I don't get why they use the same stuff every other band is using if they're wanting to be such a different and edgy group. Pretentious self-praise appears in the song "Pulse", where Icon for Hire seems to put themselves on a pedestal above bands that associate with record labels. I get they're calling out Tooth and Nail for part of this song, but they seem to imply that the label stifles the creativity of literally EVERY band associated with them: "Stuck us in boxes, that’s where you want us/Cardboard is boring, we brought our matches /Stuck us in boxes, that’s where you want us/Cardboard is boring- look how it burns". I'm not gonna pretend that Tooth and Nail is flawless, but I think it's a little unwarranted for Icon for Hire to say Tooth and Nail has stuck all the bands associated with them in boxes when many bands have thrived under their label. The song also has a beginning electronic/drum pattern that reminds too much of "We Will Rock You" and Ariel repeats the word "pulse" way too much, stuttering the p's in an annoying way.

Even worse content appears in the extremely tedious song "The Magic", which has nothing of real redeemable value to it, with generic lyrics ("When you close your eyes/Somewhere are you still alive/Or do you feel, do you feel like you’re dead inside?"). The musicianship is not special; even Ariel's vocals couldn't save this song. "Happy Hurts" might be the most cringe worthy song. Where "Under the Knife" exceeded in addressing deep depression, this song fails in every way. The lyrics feel like they come right out of a diary entry- and I almost feel like that might be what IFH says was their purpose with the song, but that's not a good excuse. Also the way the words "happy hurts" are sung by Ariel feels awkward and forced. I think that Ariel believes she is being clever in this track with all the  puns she uses. But pretty much every line here comes across as something you'd read on a Tumblr post. I personally think this song is a bit of an insult to people dealing with depression, as it seems to imply that people with depression can find happiness out of their deep sadness, which makes no sense whatsoever. This song is frustrating, and is probably my least favorite track because of how pathetically it tries to tackle a mental disease. Sadness is a good thing, but not in excess. This song seems to validate that sadness should be a part of our daily lifestyle; that we should validate it. That type of mentality is not only wrong, it's not going to help a depressed person recover. Two more bad tracks appear in "You Were Wrong", which is yet another tiresome pop song where IFH is convincing themselves that they are an amazing and inventive band. Ariel's vocals also sound very whiny in this song, especially in the verses. Even more problematic is the song "Here We Are", which uses many pop cliches. The song drowns Ariel in some annoying vocal effects, which try to come off as being inspirational, but instead make Ariel's voice sound unbelievably processed.

I am at a crossroads here for "You Can't Kill Us". On one hand, I am glad that Icon for Hire broke free of what was apparently a bad record deal. I never got to know Tooth and Nail's side of the argument, and I've never heard of another negative story coming from this label, so I don't know who is to blame. On the other hand, I also think that Icon for Hire can be a little bit full of themselves. Yes, there are songs on this album that feel sincere. But then, there are others on here which are just drowned in cliches both musically and lyrically. I find it ironic that they call out other bands for being generic when  they seem to have adapted the generic tendencies of those groups in this release. I just think I'm gonna have to accept this Icon for Hire isn't for me anymore. I'm glad that they've been able to connect with fans (although I'm hoping people with depression don't adapt the ideals promoted by "Happy Hurts"), and I guess their music is exactly what they want to do now. Not all of this album is a loss, as there are some songs which show hints of IFH's talent from their debut.  However, for the most part this album is disappointing, generic, obnoxious, and self-absorbed.

Favorite Songs: "Supposed to Be", "Under the Knife", "You Can't Kill Us"
Least Favorite Songs: "Happy Hurts", "Here We Are", "Pulse", "You Were Wrong", "Demons", "The Magic"