Badflower "Ok, I'm Sick" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars

I have long been in consensus with a lot of other rock enthusiasts that the mainstream rock scene is in desperate need of change and revitalization. Since rock is the genre I have the most affection for, it is also the one that I expect the most out of. Unfortunately, some of the biggest names in mainstream rock right now just aren't living up to where they used to be. The genre is becoming diluted as so many bands are embracing a trendy, safe sound rather than innovating. This was very indicative in 2018 when some rock bands that I've legitimately enjoyed in the past (Three Days Grace, Fall Out Boy, Disturbed, Godsmack, 5FDP) came out with albums that were either hopelessly mediocre or irredeemably awful. The only big rock band that came close to a good release was Shinedown, and even their release was not amongst their best work. So it has been refreshing to see some new bands coming out and making the scene interesting. Some of the forefronters (in my opinion) have been groups like Nothing More, Kaleo, The Struts, The Fever 333, YUNGBLUD, and most recently Badflower. This band made huge waves on the radio last year with their gut-wrenching song about suicide and self-harm, "Ghost". I am a big fan of the song, but unfortunately didn't discover it until after I made my favorite songs of 2018. That track made me very excited to see what this band could bring to a genre that is not gaining recognition like it used to. "Ok, I'm Sick" is one of the most refreshing rock albums I've heard in a long time, and one of the most surprising in terms of the deep subject matter it seeks to attack.

This album gets off to a roaring start with opening track and second single "x ANA x". If you put those words together, you'll see that it spells out a certain type of medication. This song made me immediately excited to see what the rest of the album would hold. I'll be honest: I haven't heard a straight up rock song with this much energy in a long time. I've heard subsets of the rock genre with energy for sure, but not one that strictly adheres to a rock sound. This one does, and it put a huge smile on my face. Lead singer Josh Katz is an instantly interesting vocalist, because you can immediately see his brash, sarcastic personality in the way he sings. He puts on a persona, which makes the songs sound like they have a unique character to them. The frantic guitar riffs and drumming in the background made me immediately want to head bang along with it. The chorus is also pretty freaking great, having an almost punk flare to it. The best thing about this track is the pace never once lets up. The song is five minutes and constantly stays at the same level of energy throughout, making it a thoroughly invigorating listen. This one is sure to get crowds hyped up in a live setting, and it's one of my personal favorites in an album full of really good cuts. After this comes yet another major highlight in the album, "The Jester". This song is a pretty major shift from the insane previous track, as it slows things down and is more contemplative. But make no mistake: there is still a sense of real desperation to this cut. Katz takes on a softer vocal tone, and it's a beautiful thing to hear. Already within the first two tracks we're able to hear the range he has as a vocalist, and this is only on the band's debut album. This song has a commentary on how Katz feels like audiences don't really care for him beyond his singing abilities, and that the anxiety and mental health problems he has don't matter to an audience who just wants him to perform for them. I think there's probably a hard truth to that, as we as people couldn't possibly understand what another person is going through. The lyrics convey this emotion in a powerful way: "If any chord that I could strum/Made me feel less like a man/I'd slam my fingers in the doorway/And shatter all the bones". The lyrics throughout most of this album are jaw-dropping. They're brutally honest, and sometimes uncomfortable to hear. Instrumentally this album is excellent as well, doing a good job of subtly building up to an amazing climax.

If you want another great example of uncomfortably vulnerable lyricism, look no further than the lead single "Ghost". I read where Katz said that this song was not the one the band thought would work as the lead single, but the label pushed it through anyway. This song certainly isn't your typical lead single, as it is very frank and blunt about a person who is experiencing suicidal and self-harm thoughts. This song is an emotional wreck, but it is probably one of the most important songs released for last year. We need more songs that honestly pursue mental health like this, and force listeners to face the issue head on. It also helps that this song has a musical urgency to it. "We're In Love" brings the heartbreak to a more personal level, as I'm convinced this song is about Katz himself and his doubts of his sexuality. This song is so beautiful, particularly in the absolutely ethereal chorus, and the beauty only serves to bring out the heartbreak more prominently. The compelling repetition of "lights out" artfully represents the singer's insecurities and how he'd rather them be left in the dark rather than come to the light for everyone to hear. My favorite song in the album comes in "Promise Me", which has an existential sense of loss in it that makes the song all the more interesting. This song frames Katz's fears of the future against a relationship he is going through with another person. He is begging this person to promise him they'll never grow up and that they can live forever. The fear of dying is something pretty typical to talk about, but the fear of growing up? I'm not sure I've heard that many songs discussing that fear, especially in the interesting and complex way this song does it. There are some tear-jerking moments in this song that made me feel a personal connection to it, especially in the quiet and intimate bridge where Katz cries out "All I want is one more life with you/When did we get so old?/Why'd you get so sick?/And how could you die?". This song has immediate potential for my best tracks of the year.

The emotional gravitas this album has isn't done yet, and it puts you practically in a choke hold with the horrifying cut "Daddy". I'm not sure I could even describe to you the listening experience I had with this track when I first heard it. It felt wrong, and it's supposed to. It comes from the perspective of a child who is sexually abused by her dad. Katz's almost cracked vocals make you feel that maybe even he is uncomfortable singing about such a harrowing topic, which thankfully keeps this song from feeling exploitative. The chorus of this song may be my favorite on the album, as it soars and brings out the child's fears through beautiful symbolism. Just be sure you're in the right mindset when listening to this song, as it's not the easiest track to hear. "24" is tragic in its own way, as Katz discusses how much better his life was at the age of 24, but now addictions and anxieties have made him lose the happiness and bliss he once had. The soft acoustic guitar and perhaps the best vocal performance from Katz makes this song end out the first half of this album on an incredible note. The first half of this album is, in fact, almost about as flawless as it could be. There's not one song on this part that I dislike. That does make the second half of the album pale a bit by comparison, as the album doesn't delve into as many deep topics there, save one song. That doesn't mean the second half is a total loss, though. "Girlfriend" brings back the frantic energy of "x ANA x" in a great way, as well as the dark satire. I'd love to see Badflower do an album completely of this type sometime in the future. This song takes on the perspective of an entitled man who believes he's entitled to another beautiful girl online despite the fact that he himself acknowledges she's out of his league. The song is a biting indictment of toxic masculinity, complete with hard hitting guitar riffs and a harsh vocal performance from Josh. "Wide Eyes" is the haunting song I was talking about that the second half has, as this song chronicles how a boy has trauma from sexual abuse by priests of a Catholic Church. Because of that, his innocence was taken from him at a young age, and in effect, his originally devoted belief in God was lost. It's a clear and harsh call-out to the church, and it's needed. This song is also indescribably good musically, having a particularly great bass groove.

There are a couple of tracks that keep this album from being an entirely flawless listen. Like I mentioned, after "24", this album does take a slight dip in quality for its second half (save for "Girlfriend" and "Wide Eyes"). There's a particularly weak section of three tracks starting with "Heroin". This song is unfortunately too in line with the cliched topics of mainstream rock, which is a real shame as the rest of this album generally rejects those conventions. This song compares a relationship to a drug. Come on, we've heard that comparison thousands of times now. Even though the relationship is framed as toxic and hurtful, that doesn't make this song feel any more interesting. Musically the song isn't particularly interesting either, having a chorus that just doesn't stick out to me. "Murder Games" is easily the weakest track on the album and the sharpest dip in quality. This song lyrically has Katz forcing his vegetarian views onto the audience and basically calling us murderers. I am sure that there are some places out there that kill animals in a cruel way, but not all of them do. A song like this isn't going to change anyone's minds; plus, it is mind-numbingly boring in the music department. I actually tuned out when I listened to this song around half-way through it, because it just isn't a compelling listen. "Die" is another tiresome drop in the bucket of tirades against Trump. I, of course, do not like the President, but it doesn't seem like Badflower have any compelling new critiques to give him. Also, begging for the president to die (and it almost seems like they imply they'd be okay with someone else murdering him) doesn't necessarily give you the moral high ground. "Cry" is not a song I really dislike, but I do think that "Wide Eyes" would've been a more impactful way to end out the album.

When "Ok, I'm Sick" is good, it's really freaking good- I'd even say it's straight up stellar. There are so many excellently written and performed songs in this album. Fortunately, that makes it easy to just forget about the songs that I don't like as much. The album flows together pretty well, save for that weak three-track bump in the road. Badflower have said that they're not looking to revitalize rock. And yet, they still are doing it even if they're not actively trying. Maybe it's because they're not trying to make a game-changing album, and are instead following their own rules and doing what they want. Maybe those mainstream rock bands who are stuck in a rut should be looking to Badflower as an example. This release is emotionally charged and musically powerful throughout. I absolutely recommend you check it out!

Favorite Songs: "Promise Me", "x ANA x", "We're In Love", "The Jester", "Daddy", "Wide Eyes"
Least Favorite Songs: "Murder Games", "Heroin", "Die"

Lil Pump "Harverd Dropout" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 1/5 Stars

If you stumbled onto this review, congratulations. I'm not sharing it on any social media site. I'm not even gonna promote it on Google Plus, which is where I get several viewers as well. Why, you may ask? Because Lil Pump is not worth it. If he's gonna put out an album as lazy as this, why should I put any effort in to talk about it in much detail? I mean, I'm gonna rant about it. But none of the songs on this release are worthy of analysis. Lil Pump is the embodiment of the Soundcloud Rap scene. Like so many of these talentless hacks, he's only known for going viral off of a song that's so bad it's meme-worthy ("Gucci Gang"), and then everyone forgets him after that. Except it seemed that with Pump, he wasn't forgotten right away. WHY? He's had several songs chart on the Billboard 100. I mean, I guess it shouldn't surprise me too much. Half of the Billboard Chart is now filled with shallow trap. But if there's one rapper out there who I would say is the most dime a dozen of this awful scene, Lil Pump is it. His newest album "Harverd Dropout" shows the worst cliches of trap rap and multiplies them to a tiresome and infuriating degree.

The only thing that this album has feasibly going for it is the beats and one actually decent song. The production on this album is way better than what it deserves (except for one god-tier levels of awful song; talk about that soon). The producers on this album seemed to work pretty hard on giving Lil Pump some nice bangers to rap behind, especially on songs like "Drop Out", "ESSKEETIT", and "Nuh Uh". There's also one song that I actually sort of like on the album, and that is "Be Like Me". Lil Pump actually seems to be trying to have some sort of lyrical depth in his commentary about how all these new Soundcloud Rappers coming up from the pits of Hell are trying to copy his style. In a sense, he's right, although I don't know why anybody would aspire to be like him. Still, at least it isn't about drugs, sex, or money, like every other song on this album. Lil Wayne is actually what makes this song worth listening to, as he effortlessly outshows Lil Pump and shows exactly why someone like him got recognition in their heyday. Lil Wayne might rap about similar subjects to Pump, but at least he puts some interesting commentary behind his songs when he was at his best. And I don't even like Lil Wayne's music. I'm complimenting Lil Wayne. That's how low we're going here, ladies and gentleman. I'm really scraping the bottom of the barrel at this point.

I'll give the album this: at least it's funny. I mean, it's definitely not funny in the way that Lil Pump might have intended it. Maybe if he was a more self-aware rapper who knew his fame came from being a joke, he could build off of that. But he's not a nearly clever enough rapper or writer for any of that to come across in his songs. Instead Lil Pump only know about three subjects to rap about: drugs, sex and money. He will also occasionally give a weird brag that he dropped out of Harvard so that he could pursue a music career. How he got into a school like that is beyond me, because everything about him is elementary and childish. This is one of the most vulgar rap albums I've listened to in terms of how much it uses cursing. I am not the type that is against dropping curse words in songs, but they should be used in effective ways. After you hear the twentieth f-bomb, it begins to just make you want to roll your eyes. It becomes just noise. I can't even really do this album in my typical review format, because there's almost nothing of substance to truly mention. Songs here range from annoying to truly insufferable. "I Love It" was a horrible song from last year, but at least it manages to make its way onto the album. Kanye West is in his worst form ever; he continues to fall farther and farther from the great emcee he once was. This song actually effectively represents the big problems the rest of the album has: a predictable song structure, Lil Pump sounding bored out of his mind, and way too much repetition. It's really Lil Pump's active and obvious disinterest in his own music that hurts this album. He doesn't have a personality. There's nothing about him that really makes him stand out from the crowd. This is shown over and over again. I laughed out loud at "Vroom Vroom Vroom" a truly awful song that is about as childish as it gets. I'm positive the song isn't meant to be taken seriously, but its song structure is so bad that the song is bad in ways that Pump was probably not intending it to be. The result is priceless though, so at least Pump gave me one song that I can enjoy ironically. "Stripper Name" has a HORRIBLE hook where it sounds like a boy is constantly going through puberty in the background. I've even seen some of Pump's hopelessly devoted fans calling out this musical hook as one of the worst things ever. I'm not even sure if it could be called "music"; it's just a noise that doesn't stop for the whole time. The features on this album besides Lil Wayne do nothing to impress either. They range from simply forgettable (Offset, 2 Chainz) to hard to bare even listening to (Lil Uzi Vert, Smokepurpp). The worst song on the album, and so far my worst song of 2019, goes to the despicable "Drug Addicts". The message this track presents seems especially tone deaf given that a lot of individuals within the rap scene have died in recent years due to crippling drug addictions. But what does Pump do? Oh, you know he romanticizes drug addiction as something that's fun. Do drugs all day every day kids; nothing will ever happen to you! There are plenty of other rappers who romanticize drug use, but this song might be one of the worst examples of it I've ever heard. Musically it's awful as well, and has some of the worst flows I've ever heard on any rap album. Screw this song.

So yeah. There's my small rant on Lil Pump's new album. It's not worth me writing any more, making this probably my shortest full review to date. But hey, it's all that someone like Lil Pump is going to get from me. Thankfully this album is flopping. Don't buy this album, so we can let this talentless hack fade out of the music scene like he truly deserves.

Favorite Songs: "Be Like Me"
Least Favorite Songs: "Drug Addicts", "Stripper Name", "Vroom Vroom Vroom", "I Love It", "Butterfly Doors", "Multi-Millionaire"

"Glass" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 2/5 Stars

Whenever the name "M. Night Shymalan" is uttered, there's always going to be some polarizing responses. Some people are more of the camp that while he started with potential, he went down an awful path of movies and hasn't truly been able to redeem himself since. Others would say that his good movies were good enough to make him deserving of a redemption arc, and that he's gotten that redemption in recent years. I can understand where both camps of thought are coming from. Shymalan has indeed made some of the best horror films I've seen: "The Sixth Sense" and "Split" are both absolutely stellar, and "The Visit" has more to like about it than to hate. But, I also can't deny that Shymalan has made some of the worst movies I've seen. For that reason, I always go into his films a little nervous about what version of him we're going to get. I was still very excited to see "Glass". After all, it's in a series with two of Shymalan's best films. It has three excellent actors starring in it. Unfortunately, what we get here is a pretty weak movie, especially in the writing department. This film is frustratingly disappointing, and really leaves you with a bad taste by the end of it.

In this movie, we see David Dunn (Bruce Willis) attempting to find Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), a known criminal who has 24 different personalities. Find him he does, but his victory is short-lived, as psychologist Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) takes him and Kevin both in to the Raven Hill Institution. She specializes in treating individuals who believe they are superheroes. She also happens to have Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) contained in the same facility. There she tries to convince all three of them that they are not superheroes, that this is just a delusion in all their heads because they're trying to find a sense of meaning in a meaningless world.  What almost solely gives this film its stars are the stellar performances from the three leads. James McAvoy is once again jaw-droppingly good, playing even more of his personalities in this film than he did in "Split". We don't get to see the new ones for a prolonged amount of time. However, the fact that McAvoy was dedicated enough to give each personality distinct accents, physicality, and traits just shows how dedicated he is to this character. Of course, it is also delightful to see his previous personalities returning, with Patricia and Hedwig still being great fun to watch on screen. It's clear that Shymalan has a lot of passion for this character, as most of the time is dedicated to him. And why wouldn't you take every advantage possible of McAvoy's talents (even though I still don't think M. Night used any of the performers in the best way possible, more on that later)? Samuel L. Jackson does not have that much dialogue, but he shows in this film why he still deserves to be in conversation for being one of the most respectable veteran actors out there. He doesn't even have to try anymore, and charisma still exudes from him naturally. His character was intriguing to watch, and probably had the most understandable motivations out of any character in the film. Bruce Willis's character David Dunn feels, sadly, a little inconsequential to the film, but I still was glad to see Willis really do a good job here. He plays this character with a quiet intensity that works well. As far as other things that work, I will say some of the action scenes were filmed pretty well. There's one in particular where one character is in focus going away from a fight scene and we see another character in the background out of focus absolutely slaughtering people. It was an intriguing choice and it pays off. There's also one pretty cool twist in the movie that made me feel for a character in a way that I did not really expect.

Unfortunately, that marks the end of the positives that I have for this film. As I've thought about it more, the problems I have with "Glass" have piled on. This movie is incredibly frustrating, and a lot of its problems come right down to where it's set. Almost the whole film is in a psychiatric ward, with all three of our main characters chained up. Unfortunately, this doesn't leave a whole lot of room for any of the characters to do anything substantially interesting. Why would Shymalan want to limit three of his best characters like this? Audiences would rather see these characters interacting in the real world and actually doing things. What's even more infuriating is Shymalan doesn't even take full advantage of the contained setting. The three main characters barely interact with one another. I don't think David Dunn and Elijah Price even directly talk to one another face-to-face once in the film, which is truly disappointing. When we have the inevitable climactic showdown, it goes out with a whimper rather than a bang. Such wasted potential.

If I'm being honest though, the worst thing about this movie really is its writing. This movie is the definition of pretentious throughout: it clearly thinks it's being clever when it's not. I don't know if I've ever heard the word "superhero" used in so many different variations as it was used in this movie. This movie is clearly trying its hardest to be meta-textual and self-reflecting. There's no telling how many times in the movie Shymalan is basically telling the audience, "Ok, I'm making a realistic comic book movie! Don't you see how clever I am?". It's basically like he's telling you his script rather than just showing you what happens. Movies like "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable" were clever in what they were doing because they don't reveal stuff to us through constant exposition or pseudo-deep commentary. Most of this "meta" dialogue comes through Sarah Paulson's character Dr. Staple, who is one of the most annoying characters I've seen in recent memory. Dr. Staple is nothing more than just an exposition machine. She talks and talks and talks. She doesn't ever stop, and I think she might have more lines than all the three main characters combined, which should have never happened. Paulson is not particularly good in the role either, but who can blame her? She really is given nothing to do. For as much as I like Samuel L. Jackson in this movie, many of Elijah Price's lines are also eye-roll worthy as the film goes on. He literally says things to the effect of "Now this is the climax of the movie where the hero and villain face one another in a big showdown." Yes, we get it M. Night. You are making a comic book movie, set in the real world. Being meta about it doesn't make it any less cliched. Because, yes, this is a pretty cliched superhero movie at its core. It follows a lot of the same beats. But a Marvel movie also, of course, has basic comic book beats. The difference is, in Marvel movies the beats are interesting... and fun. They're not fun to watch here, because Shymalan keeps banging us over the head with how "revolutionary" he's being with the type of superhero movie he's making. I guess in a way it could be considered "revolutionary", because this is one of the dullest superhero movies out there. Getting tired of me saying "superhero" yet? Then don't see this movie, because they say that word way more in it.

The movie ends on the most disastrous note possible. Up until this point in the film, I had been mainly just irritated with it, but I was able to tolerate the constant obvious commentary because of the great performances. The ending of the movie makes any redeemable element of this film almost not worth it. There are three different twists, which was really overkill. Like I said, the first one was good. But the other two just really don't make sense. I obviously won't reveal them, but they really made me wonder if any of the film I had just watched really mattered or not. At the end of the day, this film was truly a devastating disappointment. The three main characters and actors here deserved way better than what they got. Instead, they were put into a cliched comic book movie that tried to show it was not cliched and failed. This may not be Shymalan's worst movie, but it is his most frustrating because I know it could've been so much better. As it is written though, I'm not sure if there was any way to truly save this movie from the self-congratulatory, pretentious monster it became.

Short Reviews #14

It's good to be back and reviewing again! I've seen and listened to several things recently, so here are some shorter reviews for all of them. Expect a full-on review for "Glass" coming soon!

Movies
"The Favourite"
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

If I had seen this movie last year, I guarantee that it would have had a place in my top 10 of 2018. I just never found the time to see it, even though it was one of my highest anticipated films of the year. If you've seen any other Yorgos Lanthimos movies ("The Lobster", "The Killing of a Sacred Deer"), then you know that he has a distinctive style. For as much as I love "The Lobster", "The Favourite" is far and away Yorgos's best film to date. First of all, this is one of the most surprisingly funny movies of 2018. There is some absurd black comedy throughout, and it just works. The satirizing of British royalty cuts like a razor because it is so sharp and witty. The film has some clear commentary on how politics worked back in the day, and how that hasn't really changed much to how political maneuvering works now. This film is divided into chapters, which gives it a sense of satisfying cohesion. It's like you're literally watching a book unfold in front of your eyes. Even though there are some intricate layers to this story, the movie balances them all, making it deftly told. Cinematography wise, this movie is incredible to look at. There are so many shots that use natural candle lighting to illuminate characters' faces. The usage of natural lighting helped aid in the film's theme of all the characters literally and figuratively deceiving one another in the safety of darkness. What anchors this movie above anything else is the performances. Olivia Colman is absolutely jaw-dropping as Anne, melting into this character and becoming her. It's impossible not to lean forward when she's on screen, because you just have to wonder what type of reaction this character is going to be having next. She has some of the best lines in the movie, and Colman delivers them with delightful venom. Emma Stone once again proves she's one of the best actresses working today in the role of Abigail. I found her performance to be probably the best out of the three leads (though not by a large margin). Stone can play any type of character, and seeing her play a deceptively innocent type is intriguing to watch. Rachel Weisz also owns her role as Lady Sarah, giving this character a type of evil that is hard to turn your eyes away from. All these characters interacting with one another is awesome to see, because I loved seeing the different types of chemistry they had with each other. An honorable mention goes to Nicholas Hoult giving a hysterical turn as Harley. The one minor complaint about the movie I had was that the ending was a little underwhelming. I get what they were going for, but it wasn't presented in the most interesting way. Overall though, this is a fascinating film, and a lot of fun. Go see it!

"Ralph Breaks The Internet"
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

I'll admit, I was a little worried going into this movie based on the trailers. I try not to judge a movie based on previews, but this one just made the movie look like it was going to be outdated with the types of jokes it was going to be making. Thankfully, the film isn't really about what I thought it would be. In fact, the main theme of the movie- the importance of having non toxic friendships- really surprised me. You don't see many Disney movies tackling this type of arc, and it gives this film an interesting complexity that isn't in most of Disney's non-Pixar animated films ("Zootopia" being the obvious exception to this rule). The movie focuses on the central relationship between Ralph and Venellope, which is exactly what this film needed. These two characters are criminally likeable, thanks in big part to the awesome voice work by John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman. The animation, of course, is excellent. I wouldn't call it the most awe-inspiring work that Disney has done, but it's nothing to scoff at either. The new racing world as well as the Dark Web were easily the most creative parts of the film visually. It was also nice to see Fix-It-Felix and Calhoun back, even though they weren't in the film much. As far as new characters go, the best ones were definitely Lee and Double Dan. The commentary on the Internet was, thankfully, pretty solidly done and balanced. The film shows a lot of great aspects of being online (e.g. interacting with others, getting to find out about stuff you didn't know, getting recognized for your creativity) as well as some of the more negative aspects (deception, cyber-bullying, becoming obsessed with views). These are all admittedly basic truths about the online world, but I feel like this movie more than most Disney movies is geared more for a younger audience than it is for adults (there are a lot of Pixar movies and regular Disney films out there that are equally meant for both age groups). There are a couple unfortunate issues this movie has. For one, the product placements can get a little annoying at times. At least unlike something such as "The Emoji Movie", the products are there for a reason and they further the plot. But, it still is really in your face at times. Also, my suspicions about the Disney princess subplot being weak and unnecessary were confirmed. I really disliked this part of the movie (save for one really clever joke), as it felt totally out of sync with everything else going on. In fact, the parts where Disney tries to incorporate their other brands (like "Star Wars", "Marvel", etc.) felt very out of place and pandering. Thankfully, these parts of the movie are not there for long, so it isn't as significant of a detractor as it could've been. Overall, I enjoyed this sequel. It definitely doesn't hold a candle to the first in my opinion, but it is genuinely good for what it is. Check it out if you're interested.

Music
"Resist" by Within Temptation
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Finally, I can give a more positively leaning review to a 2019 album! January was a pretty disappointing release month, especially as some of my most anticipated albums of the year let me down. Thankfully, February is shaping up to be better, as this album and the other one I'm talking about for these short reviews are both good releases. I'd even characterize Within Temptation's as excellent. I won't lie, I was a little worried the quality might slip off with a 5-year wait in between album cycles. I was also a little disappointed in "Hydra" (although I'll always be happy the album gave us the incredible cut "Paradise") because of its confusing blends of different genres. Thankfully, "Resist" sees WI back in fine form, doing a logical update to their sound. Here they are incorporating electronics with their classic metal sound, and it almost always works. The listener can see immediate evidence of this with the opening track "The Reckoning". This has a surprising guest vocalist in Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach fame. Even though I'm not a big fan of the guy generally, he actually shows his vocal range off quite well in this cut. The booming electronics and the thunderous guitar do well to get you hyped for the album. "Endless War" is a solid follow-up, and "Raise Your Banner" is even better. This cut is classic WI, and one of the only songs on the album that significantly brings back the band's symphonic roots. I adore the chorus of this song, as well as the incredible screams from featured vocalist Anders Friden. If your favorite WI moments come on albums like "The Silent Force" and "Heart of Everything", then this song will put a smile on your face. I know it did for me. My favorite song comes in "Mad World", which I just can't stop listening to. The chorus is so much fun to sing along to; it hooks you in instantly. The epic "Trophy Hunter" ends the album out on the best note possible. There's not too much to complain about here. "Holy Ground" is a stark outlier on this release because of Sharon seeming to attempt rapping. I'm not quite sure why she does that, as it doesn't work. I also feel that "In Vain" suffers from an over compressed sound, as the guitars seem to drown out Sharon's vocal performance (which is very disappointing). This album is still very good despite these weaknesses, and it hasn't left my listening rotation yet.

Favorite Songs: "Mad World", "Raise Your Banner", "Trophy Hunter", "Mercy Mirror", "Supernova"
Least Favorite Songs: "Holy Ground", "In Vain"

"Midnight" by Set It Off
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

I'm really glad this album grew on me. When I first listened to it, I was a little thrown off. Based on the lead single "Killer in the Mirror", I thought we were getting more of a return to the sound the band is known for. But that single is a little deceptive, as this album is pretty heavily pop influenced. But, unlike the band's last album "The Upside", I came to see that the band was mainly doing the pop sound right. And it's not like they abandon their rock side entirely, far from it. The lead single is still undeniably one of the best tracks here, as Cody Carson sounds incredibly confident behind the mic. The stuttered vocal effect works well to create an unsettling yet fun atmosphere. "Different Songs" is actually my favorite cut on the album, as it is very clever lyrically. The song compares a couple breaking up like two people discovering they are different genres of music: "It keeps on getting harder to remember/The melodies or what the lyrics mean/'Cause now we're singing different songs/Forgetting how to sing along together". The driving guitar riff and drum beat only serve to make the song better. "Go To Bed Angry" is an undeniably cheesy song, but I just can't fault the sincerity behind it. Cody Carson and featured vocalist Katie Cecil both give impassioned performances here, especially in the song's very dynamic ending. The ending was what really sold me on the song and grew me on it. "Midnight Thoughts" is also a really good track, and I can see tracks like the touching "Stitch Me Up" or the burning "No Disrespect" becoming instant fan favorites. "Raise No Fool" is another favorite of mine because you can tell the whole band is having a fun time. It has an almost R&B feel to it that works quite well, and Cody's vocal patters are consistently engaging. "I Want You (Gone)" has a great saxophone solo, and a trumpet appears on the pretty solid closer "Happy All The Time". There are a couple negatives here. "For You Forever" and "Dancing With The Devil" both have really cliched subject matter and feel like they're just meant to have radio traction. The band is on automatic and isn't as interesting on either cuts. "Criminal Minds" is a pretty dumb and repetitive track that I just can't get into, and "Hourglass" sadly feels a bit forgettable. This album is still good though, and I'm thankful for that. I've always considered Set It Off to be a highly engaging band at their best, and this album proves they're back on that path once again!

Favorite Songs: "Different Songs", "Raise No Fool", "Killer in the Mirror", "No Disrespect", "Go To Bed Angry"
Least Favorite Songs: "Dancing With The Devil", "For You Forever", "Criminal Minds"