Mark Ronson "Late Night Feelings" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Out of all the big figures in the pop industry that have huge recognition, Mark Ronson is one that I am glad has so much acclaim. He deserves the praise he gets more than a lot of the pop artists out there. I've always felt he has distinctive way of making pop that is accessible but not appealing to just the lowest common denominator. In fact, a big hit like "Uptown Funk" (legitimately one of the best mainstream songs of the decade) proves that he can make something that has impact beyond just the present. The way he creates his music makes it feel relevant for the time, but also something that I feel people can return to years in the future. Not everything he makes is a masterpiece, but I respect that he is dedicated to making music that is meant for more than just Hot 100 appeal. This is definitely the case for his newest album "Late Nate Feelings", which has Ronson giving an honest look into the nature of breakups while utilizing all women vocalists.

In talking about this album, Ronson described it as a collection of "sad bangers". The album cover cleverly reflects the sentiment, with the glamour of a disco-shaped heart being juxtaposed by the heart being torn in to. The album as a whole reflects the sentiment of that picture repeatedly. Sound-wise, this album can often be lightly upbeat, but lyrically its rather sad. However, it conceptually doesn't delve into hopelessness entirely. It still is rather frank about Ronson's feelings about break-ups. His sentiments come across legitimately because of his roster of vocalists who are, for the most part, dedicated to bringing that emotion to fruition. This is almost instantly evident with the title track, which is quite stellar. It does a good job at setting the pace for this album. The subtle electronics and pulsating beat make you lightly bob your head along. This sound also creates a somewhat foreboding atmosphere, along with Lykke Li's mysterious vocal cadences. The chorus of this cut stands out particularly well, and it's easy for it to get into your head only after a couple listens. This track is definitely one the biggest highlights of the album for me. I've never found Camila Cabello to be a particularly compelling vocalist in the pop scene, but I actually really enjoy what she brings to the album's second single "Find U Again". This song boasts some absolutely pristine production qualities. Cabello does a great job at letting her vocals go to places that they didn't go in her own solo album. As is typical of this album, this track has a great hook that makes it seem like its should have huge success on Billboard. Unfortunately it did not stay on the Hot 100 for very long at all. I've never heard of King Princess before this album, but I might be curious to hear more of her music upon hearing the cut "Pieces of Us". This song is lyrically one of the more gut-wrenching songs of the album, as the break-up depicted here is one that was shattered to the point where both of their hearts seem like they're beyond repair. Princess's vocals help in bringing across a certain vulnerability in this track.

A great collection of three songs comes from YEBBA, which all feel like they are conceptually related. I think she may be my favorite vocalist on the album (though she doesn't have my favorite song on this release). I really like the soulfulness in her voice; her vocal performance here is quite stellar. You can feel the desperation in her voice on "Don't Leave Me Lonely", which feels more like a cry for help than a confident command. Ronson's own sense of hopelessness is mirrored in the plaintively honest lyrics and YEBBA's increasing vocal intensity.  My favorite cut on the whole album comes in the lead single "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart". Did I expect a song with Miley Cyrus to blow me away? No, I certainly did not. I'm not the biggest fan of Miley, and it's mainly because I've never been fond on her vocal style. But something about this song made me look at her differently. Musically, this song feels huge in almost every way. The way the swelling strings clash with the electronic beats and acoustic guitar creates a interesting intersection of different genres. This song is passionately country and passionately pop at the same time. It sounds like it shouldn't work, but it does. The song is shamelessly catchy in the way a pop song is, but Miley's voice has a raw twang to it that you would find in a conventional country cut. It works because it's so creative and interesting. The lyrics are very to the point, which I think is fitting for this track: "This world can hurt you/It cuts you deep and leaves a scar/Things fall apart, but nothing breaks like a heart". After this song, the album does fall off ever so slightly, but it does end on a very positive note with the gorgeous track "Spinning". I love the way this song vocodes Ilsey's voice to create this spacey and beautiful atmosphere. This song is a bit more hopeful than the other cuts here, which I think was a nice relief. I also appreciate that Ronson rounded out his album's loose concept by putting the lyrics "on and on" here again (like in the title track). It seems to indicate that this break-up he went through will always be something he has to mentally deal with, and there's a sense of acceptance for that reality here.

Like I hinted in my previous paragraph, this album does fall off in quality after "Nothing Breaks Like A Heart". I don't necessarily hate any song here, but there were several that felt just forgettable. This is especially true of "True Blue". Angel Olsen's vocals here are pretty, but that's about all the song has. Otherwise, it doesn't quite justify its nearly six-minute run-time, feeling rather aimless and uninteresting. I didn't really feel much emotional depth out of this song. The same goes for both "Why Hide" and "2 AM", which are tracks that leave my brain almost as soon as I am done listening to them. Nothing about them makes them distinctive enough to really stick out. The only song on this album I may actually dislike is "Truth". Something about The Last Artful Dodgr's voice just doesn't work for me. It started to grind on my nerves after listening to this album for the fourth time. I can't see myself returning back to it ever again.

Overall, I really enjoy Mark Ronson's "Late Night Feelings". It certainly stands high among its pop contemporaries. I predict this album will go severely underrated because it's not going with the big mainstream tide right now. But, I think people will still appreciate it. If you haven't heard the album yet, I definitely recommend it! Though, it's not perfect it is a fun release, and "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" is one of the best songs of the year!

Favorite Songs: "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart", "Late Night Feelings", "Don't Leave Me Lonely", "Spinning", "Find U Again"
Least Favorite Songs: "Truth", "True Blue", "2 AM"

"John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars

With how many different action franchises there are out there now, it can be really tough to separate yourself from the pack. Often, it's easy to delve into the cliches, make a quick buck, and be done. This has not been the case for the "John Wick" series. This series has gotten to the level of popularity of something like the "Mission Impossible" or "Bourne" series. I think that popularity has been well-deserved. I love the first film. It's a great revenge story that does a good job at making its titular character mysterious and interesting. I like the second movie almost as much as the first one, but for different reasons (I feel like it will be better to talk about those reasons once we get into the meat of this review). I was definitely excited going into this newest film, especially with the incredible cliffhanger that ended the second film. So, what do we get out of "John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum" (bit of a long title, don't you think)?

This movie begins right where the second one ends, with John being "excommunicado"- in other words, he no longer has any type of protections/services from the High Table and it is open season for anyone to kill him. Winston gave Wick an hour before people could come after him to escape. After the initial time of Wick getting ready, the first parts of this film are pulse-pounding and non-stop action. The third movie has some of the absolute best and most creative action sequences out of any film here. Just like in the second movie where we actually saw John use nothing but a pencil to kill someone, here he uses a book. It is a scene that is both funny and impressive to watch. That's what I've always appreciated about the Wick movies: they embrace the ridiculousness of their premise, and always to their best to have a lot of fun with it. This movie is for the John Wick diehards more than any other. If you aren't familiar with the lore of this franchise, then it's guaranteed you're going to be a little confused. But for those who have been paying attention and have been curious in hearing more about the odd criminal underworld that John lives in, they're going to be rewarded. The action sequences are moments I could see almost anyone enjoying however, because they work incredibly well and always put a smile on my face. It also helps that you have people in this movie like actor Mark Dacascos who can do their own stunts. The choreography work in this movie is jaw-dropping and out of this world, giving this movie a real martial arts feel to it that the other two movies don't have. That makes the action here feel a little more gritty and realistic. I like that the movie made the action so detailed. Showing things as simple as John Wick reloading his gun makes the tension and excitement feel all the more palpable. The final sequence in this movie is particularly incredible, being right up there with the night club sequence in the first movie. That's quite a hard scene to match up to. If there's anything you should come out having immense praise for in this movie, it's the action.

That's not to say that no other elements in the film are without merit, far from it. Pretty much every performance here is strong. Now I think there's no denying that Keanu Reeves is not the strongest actor out there. But because he is a likeable personality, and is basically able to play a strong, silent type, John Wick is a great fit for him. Reeves doesn't have as much emotional content to sink his teeth into this time around, which can make it hard to entirely attach on to Wick, but it is still very fun to watch John taking down everyone in his path. Even though Reeves is not a great actor, his clear passion for playing this character is what makes Wick feel convincing. I really like Keanu in this role despite any weaknesses he might have, and if anything, some of his awkward way of saying some lines can be justified because Wick is a man of few words as well. Like with "The Matrix" series, what helps make Reeves look even better is the actors surrounding him. While I do wish Halle Berry was in this movie a little more, I still liked the new energy she brought here. Her and Reeves have an intriguing chemistry that works well for the movie. I almost think the movie could've been stronger if more were done with their relationship, but this series has always been more concerned with what Wick can do on his own. My favorite part of the series continues to be Ian McShane as Winston, who you can tell just loves playing this role. He relishes every moment he gets to play this duplicitous hotel manager who is really only in it for himself. I love watching him; he's just so intriguing, and it was nice to see him get a little more time on screen. Lance Reddick continues to be great as the concierge Charon, and he gets to have some cool moments here that I won't spoil for you. Mark Dacascos plays Zero, the main antagonist of the film, and his portrayal of this character really works. There's some interesting places he takes this character that I wasn't expecting. The only performance I don't really care for too much here is Asia Kate Dillon as The Adjudicator, a character who works for the High Table. While her character helps in the world building, she isn't too interesting and doesn't do a whole lot.

My main criticisms for this film come in its plot. This film tries to have a lot more plot arcs going on, which ultimately makes it feel a little jumbled and confusing. The first film benefits from having a honed-in focus on John's one purpose: to kill the man responsible for killing his dog. The second movie does well at balancing world-building while still focusing on the main plot thread. For the first parts of this movie, I felt like director Chad Stahelski and the screenwriters had a bit of a hard time writing themselves out of John Wick being on the run from practically everyone in the criminal underworld. It leads to them having to take Wick all over the place and meeting all sorts of different characters. Like I mentioned earlier in the movie, for the fans who liked the world-building the second movie did, they'll probably like this one even more. The main problem for me is that some of the reveals here are almost a little too ridiculous for my taste. This series has never been super-realistic in the first place, but I did feel there was a sort of grounded feel to John Wick's world. Now, it almost is starting to feel a little too mythical and fantastical. Some people are sure to like that aspect of it, though.

Even considering those criticisms, I still enjoyed "John Wick 3" immensely. There is so much that works about this movie. Sometimes, I enjoy going into a film where you don't have to think about things too much and can instead enjoy some hyper-stylized action and enjoyable actors hamming it up on screen. This series knows what it is, and it relishes in taking as many creative liberties as it can, all the while making Keanu Reeves look incredibly cool. If you liked the other John Wicks, then you're sure to enjoy this one. I know I did!

Short Reviews #16

By: James Southworth

Hey everyone, I'm back! I took a bit of a break from my website to try something else out. I will be updating everyone about the state of my review site very soon. I have some new ideas and series on the way that I'm very excited about. For now, I have a lot of catching up to do on various movie and music content. Here is a pretty big compilation of reviews for you all! These reviews are gonna be shorter than usual since there's so many of them.

Movies
"Rocketman"
 Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I'll admit, the trailers for this movie did a good job at not revealing too much at what this movie was going to be like- and that's a good thing. "Rocketman" is a biopic about Elton John. However, it is not your typical "rise of a star" journey. In fact, this is probably the most unique movie of this genre I've seen in recent memory. There are some typical beats that this movie has to follow, but what really makes this film work is that it puts a new spin on these expected plot points. This movie was described in its trailers as a "musical fantasy". I think that was a very fitting description for the film. There are some parts of this movie that I'm sure are factual to Elton's real life. But there are also some parts that are intentionally fantastical, such as a concert where Elton and his fans are literally floating off the ground. I thought this aspect of the movie made it quite unique, and I think the over-the-top aspects of it accurately reflect Elton John's own very flamboyant personality. Everything about this movie feels huge, and that is helped in large part by the musical numbers. This movie does indeed play out like a musical, which I thought was a genius idea. Even smarter is that Elton John's music is used as many of the musical numbers. The movie actually uses Elton's music to inform on his emotions in the movie and to legitimately further the plot as well. There are also some original songs in the movie, all of which were quite good. Visually this film is stunning in several moments, especially the ending song which is filmed like an old 80s music video. Performances are great all around, with an absolutely stellar turn by Taron Egerton as Elton. He embodies this character, and you can tell he is passionate about giving this icon a performance to remember. The movie is really a showcase for him more than anything, and while I liked Egerton as an actor before this film, this movie made me absolutely convinced that he can be a great character actor. His singing throughout is wonderful, as he sounds pretty close to Elton even though he uses his own voice. Jamie Bell is also really good as Elton's best friend Bernie. I really enjoyed how these two actors worked off each other. The only main issue I had with this movie was that besides Elton and Bernie, the rest of the characters in the movie felt a bit to much like cardboard cutouts. However, this wasn't a huge issue given that this movie was almost singularly concerned with Elton and his overcoming of addictions. I loved this movie; it's one of my favorites of the year!

"Aladdin"
 Rating: 3/5 Stars 

I had very low expectations going into this film. The best Disney "remakes" are "Christopher Robin" and "Mary Poppins Returns", and really those two are more like sequels. The true blue remakes have been mediocre at best and insultingly awful at worst. "Aladdin" leans closer to the mediocre side, though I have more positive to say about it than I expected. The most surprising positive is that I really enjoyed Will Smith as Genie. The trailers really did an awful job at marketing Smith, especially with CGI that looked laughably awful. Will Smith is actually pretty good in this role; in fact, he's easily the best part of the movie. Any time he's on screen, things get more interesting. He also is thankfully not CGI the whole time; whenever he looks like himself things improve markedly. Will Smith got to play himself rather than just attempting to emulate Robin Williams, which was a good thing. The Genie should be a character who reflects the comedic style of whatever actor is playing them. I also thought Naomi Scott was great as Jasmine. I really think this movie cared more about Jasmine as a character than Aladdin, because they did a lot of unique things with her. I liked the changes they brought to her character. Scott has great range as an actress, as well as a wonderful singing voice. Speaking of which, the songs in this movie were mostly fine. Thankfully, Auto-tune wasn't used in this movie as obnoxiously as it was in "Beauty and the Beast". Whenever Will Smith is attempting to sing, though, the movie does falter. He's more talented at rapping/talking ("Friend Like Me") rather than straightforward singing ("Prince Ali"). Mena Massoud is fine as Aladdin; he isn't particularly impressive, but his performance isn't bad either. The only performance I didn't care for entirely was Marwan Kenzari as Jafar. I don't think this was entirely his fault, as the changes director Guy Richie made to this character were confusing. He doesn't exude any menace or campy fun like the original villain does. Where this movie's biggest weaknesses lie is in its production values and directing choices. In regards to the former, the world of Agrabah looks too perfect. It feels like we're just looking at sets rather than actual lived-in places, and that really takes you out of any potential world immersion. The clothing is too pristine looking, especially in the case of Aladdin. His clothes should be raggedy and dirty, but instead they look perfectly kept. The CGI in this film is straight up awful in this movie many times. Even though Will Smith is charismatic, whenever he's the blue genie, he still looks awful. It's incredible to me that Disney couldn't have invested in better-looking CGI. Directing-wise, this movie's pacing is off. It rushes it significantly in the beginning, and then the movie begins to really drag in its second half. Maybe if the movie had taken out some unnecessary plot arcs, it could've felt tighter. Overall, "Aladdin" is fine, and it only makes me more confident that these remakes are nothing more than nostalgic cash grabs.

"Booksmart"
 Rating: 4/5 Stars

"Booksmart" is easily the funniest movie I've seen all year. Coming of age movies are so ingrained into our culture, and typically one can predict the typical plot points these films will go through. This isn't always the case for this film. I really appreciated that Olivia Wilde didn't make this movie feel like a genre cliche. Considering this is her directorial debut, I appreciate that she didn't play it too safe. What works best about this movie is easily its two leads. Beanie Feldstein as Molly does a great job at portraying this character who seems at first only concerned with her knowledge, but the audience soon realizes there's more to her than meets the eye. She is hilarious throughout this movie, having sharp comedic timing and some truly great lines of dialogue. Kaitlyn Dever as Amy is my favorite in the movie, as she is the powerful emotional core here. Her character has a lot of complicated things to deal with, and Dever does a good job at subtly portraying her character's emotions in dealing with all these things. Dever and Feldstein have great chemistry together. Because of that, I felt convinced that Molly and Amy were real people, so much so that I believed the characters had lives beyond the confines of the movie. That's an impressive achievement for Wilde. I also really like how visually unique this movie is. There are a lot of creative sequences here, including a drug trip sequence that is incredibly odd in the best way possible. The usage of music in this movie only furthers its memorability. I like the theme of this movie, that if we choose to look deeper, we can see beyond the surface level of our peers. That may sound cliched, but it works for our two main characters. They both think they know everything due to their book smarts, but they both realize they don't with their high school peers. The jocks are not just dumb football players; the preppy girl is not just a pretty face. I do, however, wish that the other characters in this movie had a bit more development put on them. They are interesting, and I wanted to know even more about them. It feels like the movie puts minor characters to the side too easily. I also thought the movie ended a little awkwardly.  Otherwise, this is a really good film. Check it out!


Music
 "The Evening Hate" by RED (single)
 Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

One of my favorite bands is back! I was so excited going into this single, and it did not disappoint. There are so many things to love about this single. One of the most primary is the way its lyrics build a vivid atmosphere. The lyricism might sound a bit minimalist at first. The more I listened to them, the more I appreciated how the lyrics drew the listener into this foreboding world that we wanted no part of. This is assisted further by the wonderful musicianship in this song. Michael Barnes's haunting vocal performance, the thick strings, and the throttling guitar and drum work make for a song that feels dark and eerie. As far as RED singles go, this is one of their most atmospheric, and I love it for that reason. What puts this song over the top is its breakdown. This is the closest RED has gotten to metalcore (with "Damage" and "What You Keep Alive" being their only other songs that come close to this genre), and it put a huge smile on my face. If RED were to go in a more intense direction, you wouldn't see me complaining. Check this song out!

"Vibrant" by Time, The Valuator (single)
 Rating: 4/5 Stars

I was vastly disappointed when I found out Time, The Valuator's lead singer would be leaving the band after only one album. If you didn't know, "How Fleeting, How Fragile" was my favorite album of 2018. I love it even more now; it has probably become one of my favorite albums of all time. I was a little worried about the future of this band, as losing a lead singer can be particularly hard for a new band to recover from. All my worries were put to rest with this new single "Vibrant". Wow, this song is excellent! Rest assured that the new lead singer is just as good as the old one, having the passion and vocal range needed for this band's complex musical style. I was almost tearing up when I heard the song for the first time, as it has pretty much everything I loved about the band's debut album. The lyrics are some of the best of the year, as they talk in compelling detail about how we need to rely on each other in times of darkness and hopelessness. This song acknowledges the horrible things going on in the world, but also assures the listener there's a light at the end of the tunnel. My main issue with the song was the seemingly out of nowhere screaming section. I do wish the section had been more developed and made a little more interesting. The song also ends a little abruptly. This is still a great lead single, and I am undeniably excited about the new album!

"ZUU" by Denzel Curry (album)
 Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

I don't really have a whole lot to say about this album besides that it's a short but sweet collection of fun bangers. It's not as complex as "Taboo", but it didn't need to be. I love "Ricky" in particular, where Curry talks about how his father has influenced his life. It's a really fun song with some great flows, and it's probably one of my favorite songs of the year. There are some skits on this album that don't really work, and a couple songs that are annoying to me, but I don't have any huge issues with this album. It works fine as it is. Check it out!

Favorite Songs: "Ricky", "P.A.T.", "Birdz", "Wish"
Least Favorite Songs: "Bush B Interlude", "Speedboat"

"Happiness Begins" by Jonas Brothers (album)
 Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Once again, I don't have much to say about this album. It's just pretty dull. There are some songs that legitimately work on this album, such as the fun lead single "Sucker". I also think the brothers do really well whenever they lean into synthpop out of all things. This isn't exactly the genre I'd expect to see this group do well, but it works nevertheless. This is especially true of cuts like "Strangers" and "Don't Throw It Away". Unfortunately, most of this album is just boring. A lot of cuts here are forgettable, and a couple like "Cool" and "Only Human" became annoying to me very quickly. I can't really recommend this album; it did nothing for me. I haven't come back to it after the first couple listens, and I don't see it having any significant impact on the mainstream for the near future.

Favorite Songs: "Strangers", "Don't Throw It Away", "Sucker"
Least Favorite Songs: "Cool", "Only Human", "Happy When I'm Sad", "Rollercoaster"

"Disguise" by Motionless in White 
 Rating: 2/5 Stars

Motionless in White is a frustrating band to me. I've always felt that they exude clear talent on select songs, but they've never really been able to execute it in a more full way on their albums in full. The same applies for "Disguise", and maybe even in worse ways than "Reincarnate" or "Graveyard Shift".

The album has a legitimately promising start with the lead single, which has a good chorus and a legitimately great breakdown. "Headache" may have MIW wearing their Korn inspiration on their sleeves, but at least they're having some clear fun with it. "c0de" might be the most original and interesting song the band have done in quite some time; it's one that felt distinct to them. I really liked the nu-metal flair it had; maybe the band should pursue this style more often in the future. "Thoughts and Prayers", while having a message I don't entirely agree with, still goes hard musically and is probably where each of the band members shine the most.

Unfortunately, things go off the rails from here. The biggest problem with this band is they do one of three things: either they make a song that is clearly just meant for the radio, they make a song that wears its influences on its sleeves to the point of near plagiarism, or their lyrics are so campy that it's cringe. "Legacy" fits snugly under the moniker of "meant for radio", and is easily one of the band's weakest songs to date. I hated every moment of it, from the pseudo-inspirational lyrics to the filler "woah-oh"s. Songs like these tick me off now, because they accomplish nothing. This is one of the worst songs of the year. "Undead Ahead" and "Broadcasting from Beyond the Grave" are both, I think, meant to be darkly funny, but their lyrics are trying too hard. It just doesn't work. "Holding on to Smoke" weirdly talks about praying in a positive light, which is a direct contradiction to "Thoughts and Prayers". This bothered me probably more than it should, but the thematic dissonance is just lazy. It makes me feel like the band don't really care about whatever messages they're attempting to promote. Musically, this song is one of the most boring on the album, with probably the most dull going to "Another Life". "Brand New Numb" doesn't work with this weird mix of rock and electronics, and "Catharsis" is about as forgettable of a closer as I've ever heard. It sounds WAY too much like Breaking Benjamin.

The biggest problem with MIW is that they feel like they're trying to replicate the sounds of their peers rather than make their own sound. I'd just as soon go and hear a Breaking Benjamin, Korn, Slipknot, or Skillet song any time over hearing a duller version done by Motionless in White. This album starts off hopefully, but disappointingly gets more and more uninteresting as it goes on. Oh well.

Favorite Songs: "c0de", "Thoughts and Prayers", "Disguise"
Least Favorite Songs: "Legacy", "Holding on to Smoke", "Broadcasting From Beyond the Grave", "Another Life", "Brand New Numb