Coldplay "Everyday Life" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 3/5 Stars

I've never gotten the chance to talk about Coldplay on my site; it's about time that I had the opportunity to do so. While they're not one of my top bands, I still have an immense liking for the band as a whole. Their first four albums are superb efforts, especially "X & Y" and "Viva La Vida". I am not as huge a fan of the band's albums from "Mylo Xyloto" onward, with the significant exception of "Ghost Stories", which I think is rather underrated. Sure, it's very electronic and low-key, but the lyricism on it is quite haunting. Even if I found "A Head Full of Dreams" to be underwhelming, I was still excited to see what Coldplay could bring to the table with their new double album "Everyday Life". The promotion around this release was interesting to me, as it seemed to be conceptual in structure, and a lot of buzz was being made about this being the band's most experimental work to date. My reactions to this album ended up being divided, with some songs here being among Coldplay's best work to date, while other choices made here are real head scratchers or very underwhelming.

This album is divided into two parts or disks: part 1 is entitled "Sunrise" and part 2 is entitled "Sunset". I definitely think the "Sunrise" part of the album is far more interesting half. Most of the musical choices made here work to the band's benefit, starting with the intro track "Sunrise". I wasn't quite expecting an orchestra to begin off the album, but that is what we end up getting here. It really ended up working for me, as it's beautiful and chilling at the same time. I think it begins this album off on an interesting note, leaving you intrigued to see what the rest of the album has to offer. It's admittedly jarring to go directly from this to the decidedly more electronic cut "Church". That doesn't mean I dislike the song though, far from it. I really appreciate how the electronics function in this song, playing a more subtle role and letting Chris Martin's vocals take center stage. I think this song doubles as both a relationship song and maybe even a religious song in some ways. I appreciate the cut keeps things vague enough to where you could see it both ways. Neither interpretation makes the song feel cheesy; instead the sentiments here are sincere and even touching in some ways. I think this song was an overall solid way to begin the album. Once again, the way this song transitions into "Trouble In Town" is a little weird to me. But once again, I like this cut. This track is entirely different in subject matter than the song before it, as it talks about how tense race relations are, resulting in racial minorities being treated in unfair and inhumane ways. This is the first song where we see light of one of the main ideas/theses of the album. I think this track nails the album's central theme- that everyone's "everyday life" should be one where they're treated with love and compassion- better than some of the other cuts on the album. I think that's probably because the song is bold in its musicality, feeling a little more intense than your typical Coldplay song. The inclusion of a real life audio recording where a minority was profiled by a cop plays a huge role in making the song work. The way the music accompanies the recording ignites some powerful emotion. I wish this was a more frequent occurrence on this album.

The album then transitions into "BrokEn". This is one of the album's many shorter cuts (around two and a half minutes or less), and it's one of the only ones that I feel works well. The classic gospel feel of the song appeals to my musical tastes, so I'm definitely biased towards liking this one more than some other people might be. There's a sense of raw energy here as Chris Martin's vocals and the backing vocals combine together. We then get the somber and emotionally heart wrenching cut "Daddy", which sounds like it would be right at home on "Ghost Stories". The song is simple and childlike in its lyrics, but I think that is clearly purposeful. The song is personal to Chris Martin, as he has discussed in an interview that he can feel like a far away father figure to his son when he is out touring. The emotions put on display here are poignant, and Martin's voice is truly just beautiful to listen to. This is definitely one of my top favorites on the album. My absolute favorite on the album comes in the unabashedly energetic single "Arabesque". This song feels like Coldplay at their most risky and experimental. If anything, I wish I'd heard more songs that went as crazy as this one in terms of trying new things. The usage of big band instrumentation here is a welcome and exciting part of the song, as well as lyrics that show how desperate Martin is for the us to find unity and love in a tense world: "I could be you, you could be me/Two raindrops in the same sea/You could be me, I could be you/Two angles of the same view". It also helps that there are different languages spoken in the cut, showing the band is dedicated to unity in an international sense. The song ends with an excellent saxophone solo that only make the song that much better. Like I mentioned earlier, the second half of the album, "Sunset" is a little weaker. That's not to say nothing works on this half. "Champion of the World" is an ethereal and inspiring track without ever forcing inspiration on the listener. And then there's the title track, which is classic Coldplay in every sense of the word. If you've been missing the Coldplay from their first four albums, you'll get it in abundance here. It's a wonderful way to end the album.

Now I have to get to some of my critiques of this album. Unfortunately, the issues the album has keep it from being as good as it could be. One issue that I've already implied in my previous paragraphs is that musically, this album is messy and fragmented. Now in some ways I sort of see what the band was going for: the real world is also a messy and fragmented place, so choosing one particular style to nail down "life" as a whole was always going to be a challenge. But still, it is very jarring the way the band attempts to transitions between vastly different genres. They try to bring a sense of cohesion with these cuts that feel more like interludes. Sadly, either the interludes are boring or they just don't make sense in context of the album. "When I Need a Friend" sounds like something you'd hear in a church cathedral, and while it's pretty, I'm just not sure how it entirely connects to the rest of the album. The same goes for "WOTW/POTP" and "Children of Adam". I think these interludes should've either been cut or even expanded upon. This album is an hour long, but I feel like it could've benefited from being a little longer. Some of the concepts here, especially the more political ones, are often spoken about in only the vaguest of terms. In some cases, they're barely commented on at all. "Trouble in Town" was a great way to establish the idea of racial inequality, but for the rest of the album the only way the band speaks of this idea again is in vague platitudes. I really wish the band had gone to uncomfortable places more often like in the aforementioned song, but they really don't. "Guns" had potential in talking about gun control, but it takes a rather easy going centrist route with Chris Martin asking himself if he's just crazy too. That seems like a quick way to dodge an important topic to me. While I tend to like songs that are upbeat musically but lyrically dark, "Orphans" completely misses the mark. Martin goes into the perspective of a Syrian refugee. I just don't think an upbeat pop song with a lot of "woo woo"'s was the best way to talk about such a dire circumstance. Also, using "boom-baboom" as a sound effect for bombs going off in Damascus felt insultingly childish and reductive of a real world tragedy. The children's choir in the chorus completely overpowers Chris's vocals. All of these elements make "Orphans" easily the worst cut on the album, as it did everything it could wrong. "Cry Cry Cry" also feels woefully misguided, especially with the pitching up of Jacob Collier's guest vocals. This song is so repetitive and dull, and definitely bogs down the second half of the album, along with the forgettable cuts "Old Friends" and "Eko".

So, what do I feel overall about Coldplay's "Everyday Life"? Well, I do think that the album is a little bit disappointing, but is still overall in line with the quality that we've gotten from the band "Mylo Xyloto" onward. I think the reason this one is more disappointing to me is that there is evidence here of Coldplay really bringing back that exciting spirit they had on their earlier records (songs like "Arabesque" and the title track could be among some of my favorite of the band's songs to date). This album is still fine overall; I might even call it pretty good. But "pretty good" hasn't always been a trait of Coldplay. "Everyday Life" is worth maybe a listen or two, and I think the diehard fans will really enjoy this release.  I will personally be setting aside my favorite cuts from this album, and don't see myself returning to this album a lot as a whole.

Favorite Songs: "Arabesque", "Everyday Life", "Trouble In Town", "Daddy"
Least Favorite Songs: "Orphans", "Cry Cry Cry", "Guns"

Short Reviews #18

By: James Southworth

It's time for another segment of shorter reviews! There are several movies I've seen and a lot of music I've listened to. It's time to put all that together. Some of these reviews are of more recent material, while others are a little bit older. Let's get into it!

Movies
"Downton Abbey"
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

I really wanted to review this movie in longer form, but because of other reviews I just didn't have the time to dedicate a whole post to this one. That doesn't mean that I didn't like the "Downton Abbey" movie. In fact, I really enjoyed this. It's actually comparable in some ways to "El Camino" from this year: it is a solid follow-up to the TV show it's based on, even if it isn't quite as good. This movie definitely has the feeling of an extended season finale. Don't expect an epic cinematic journey here, as that is not what the TV series was ever about. I appreciate that the movie keeps things simple; even for people who are not necessarily familiar with the show, they can find things to enjoy about the film. I'll admit, I had a pretty wide smile the whole time watching this movie. I really gained an affection for many of the Abbey's characters while watching the show, and getting to see them again was wonderful. The plot of this movie seemed like a good way to end off the show: the Crawleys are getting ready to host the King and Queen of England, and all the while Lady Mary is wondering whether Downton should continue to run or not with the changing of the times. The plot could sound inconsequential, but I think the movie makes it interesting, and the latter plot especially does have some emotional heft to it. Visually, this movie doesn't pull many clever camera tricks, but it makes up for it with the beautiful costuming and set designs. This film is gorgeous to look at; it's easy to revel at all the beauty before your eyes. The performances in the film are mostly good. I appreciate that the movie has an emphasis on Allen Leech's Tom Branson, who is my favorite character. His performance in the film is also the best; it makes sense that director Michael Engler would want to put a focus on his stronger actors. There's also more story given to Thomas Barrow, with Robert James-Collier giving a career-best performance here. I really like how they wrap up this character's story, giving him something the audience has always wanted to see him have: happiness. Other great performances include a great bow-out turn by Maggie Smith as Violet, Laura Carmichael's endlessly interesting turn as Lady Edith, and a surprise performance by Imelda Staunton that turns into an easy highlight. Now, this movie isn't perfect. Like I mentioned earlier, the plot does feel just a little bit inconsequential. You also can't help but feel sometimes like you're watching a TV show rather than a movie. Some characters just aren't as interesting here as they were in the show. This is especially true of Mr. Carson (who has the same "uptight British servant" shtick going on) and Lady Mary (I thought Michelle Dockery's performance was a little off). Still, this was a really fun movie, and I couldn't help but enjoy myself.

"The Nightingale"
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

And now, we have a movie on the total other end of the spectrum. Whereas "Downton Abbey" is a very easy and fun viewing, "The Nightingale" is decidedly not. In fact, it is sometimes hard to watch because of how emotionally and physically violent it is in many places. This was one of my most anticipated films of the year when I found out that Jennifer Kent was the director. She has also made what is probably my favorite horror movie of all time, "The Babadook". "The Nightingale" is a VERY different beast from the former, so don't go into this expecting a psychological thriller. In some ways, this film is a revenge tale about a wife who loses everything going after the people who killed her husband and child. In other ways, this film is a study on an oppressive, colonialist Britain, and how the system hurt different types of minorities in different ways. I think the latter parts of the film are a little better, as Kent does a great job at providing her minority characters with powerful voices. In fact, the most compelling character here is not the main character, but rather the character Billy, played masterfully by Baykali Ganambarr. His story of oppression as a result of racism is a tragic one to watch, and the arc he goes through with protagonist Clare is very touching. Kent has an uncanny way of piercing the deepest parts of the human soul in her films, flaws and all. That is what makes her movies work so well. She brings heart into dark situations. And even though Billy is my favorite character, that doesn't mean Clare isn't interesting. I thought that Aisling Franciosi had a wonderful performance in this role, and really showed her character's raw sorrow in uncomfortable ways. Sam Claflin is also almost too good at playing the despicable General Hawkins. Probably my main problem with this movie is that it's almost too over the top in the way it shows violence. I counted four different rape scenes that occurred, and while they weren't in gory detail or anything, it was still hard to watch. What was too much was showing the murders of not only Clare's husband, but also her baby. I just don't think this moment needed to be dwelled on for as long as it was. Finally, there is a lot of dead air in the movie, especially in the middle. I think it could've been shortened down a little to create a more visceral experience. Still, "The Nightingale" is a great movie that shows Jennifer Kent has an adept hand at multiple genres. I recommend it!

"The Lion King"
Rating: 1/5 Stars

I continue to try and understand why these Disney remakes are getting such positive reception among audiences. The only conclusion I can come to is the nostalgia factor, and nostalgia is a very strong force. I, for one, haven't been able to stomach most of the remakes. "Dumbo" already made me mad this year, and "The Lion King" remake has only made me angrier. Somehow, this manages to be WORSE than "Dumbo" (though still not as bad as the atrocity that is the "Beauty and the Beast" remake). I'll give the "Dumbo" remake the slightest bit of credit: at least Tim Burton tried something new, even if it failed disastrously. And the movie does make its main character likeable, which deserves some recognition. "The Lion King" does neither of these things. Sure, I guess one could be in awe of the photo-realistic CGI that appears in this movie. But something about the hyper realism is just super uncomfortable to me. All the animals here look like emotionless puppets, dead-eyed and zombie-like. I mean, animals in the real world don't necessarily have strong emotions facially, but I would say that two lions fighting in the real world would at look far more emotional than what this garbage pile of a movie has to offer. Having real-looking animals just doesn't work, because we don't get to see animated emotions, like with the original. This in effect makes the voice acting suffer tremendously. Because the animals can't emote, that means the voice actors can't really play up their emotions either, or it would be awkward. It's really disheartening to hear the likes of Seth Rogen, Keegan Michael-Key, and Billy Eichner sounding like they took a Xanax before they did their voice-over work. The only people here who sound like they are at least trying is Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, and James Earl Jones as Mufasa. Of course, it's impossible to make Jones's voice sound boring. Other voice actors sound like they were only there for a paycheck, such as Donald Glover as Simba and Beyonce Knowles as Nala. This is bad because these two are the main characters. Plot-wise, this movie is basically a shot-for-shot remake of the original. There is not a modicum of originality in this movie, save for the longer version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" that doesn't work at all. Iconic moments from the original, such as Simba seeing his father in the stars, are completely butchered of their weight in this remake. Emotional beats are lost due to characters not able to visually or vocally emote. A live-action remake does not automatically make a movie better or more mature. This movie is living proof of that. What an atrocity; easily one of the worst movies of the year. I can't wait to see how bad that "Lady and the Tramp" remake will be.

Music
"In cauda venenum" by Opeth
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Opeth is one of the best discoveries I've made this year. I haven't delved much into their backing discography yet, but I really want to soon. "In cauda venenum" is a masterful progressive rock/metal album. There's numerous things to love about it, from the vibrant lyricism to the complex guitar and drum work. The songs that work here really work. "Universal Truth" is my favorite from the album, and one of my favorite songs of the year. I love the way the song shifts in tone and pace throughout. It sounds absolutely frantic in some moments, while sounding peaceful and contemplative in others. At over an hour long, this release stays engaging for the majority of its run time. It begins impressively with the hard rocking "Dignity", and then moves into the absolutely epic "Heart In Hand". I also love the closing moment "All Things Will Pass", which is really just a prime example of how talented the band is. Mikael Akerfeldt is a wonderful vocalist, able to show off the full range of emotions throughout this album. This is one of those releases that is pitch perfect for the fall weather, as it has this really cool mysterious and haunting vibe to it. This is definitely a late highlight for this year, and will probably get at least an honorable mention for my top albums of 2019!

Favorite Songs: "Universal Truth", "All Things Will Pass", "Dignity", "Heart In Hand", "Lovelorn Crime"
Least Favorite Songs: "The Garroter", "Continuum"

"Flawed Design" by Saint Asonia
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

This album was a very pleasant surprise for me. After the band's very underwhelming debut, I was worried we would never get to see Adam Gontier in his vocal heights ever again. It seemed like leaving Three Days Grace was not the best idea for him, because he really formed the identity of that band. Thankfully, his band Saint Asonia's new album "Flawed Design" is a welcome return to form. If you've missed Adam-era TDG, then this album is going to quench your thirst. Adam sounds better than ever vocally on this album, really getting to show his emotion and power in a lot of moments. This is immediately evident on opener "Blind", which is definitely my favorite on the album. I felt a wave of nostalgia washing over me as I listened to this song; it's like I was listening to "Life Starts Now" all over again. The guitars in this song are crushing and almost verge into the territory of metal, which put a smile on my face. Make no mistake, this album fits the name of radio rock. But it's a type of radio rock we've been missing out on: the type that is catchy enough to work on the radio, but unique enough that it doesn't give into all of radio rock's tropes. This album's emotional core is what keeps it together, as is evidenced on "This August Day" and "Ghost". The latter track really fits Adam's voice well, and the chorus is endlessly catchy. I also have a huge appreciation for "The Fallen", which is dedicated to Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell. Other highlights include the fun singles "The Hunted" and "Beast". There's not too much to significantly complain about. I suppose that "Justify" and the title track verge a bit on the generic side, and though I love Sharon del Adel of Within Temptation, her voice doesn't really click well with Adam's on "Sirens". Still, this is one of the better mainstream rock albums I've heard in a while. Give it a shot!

Favorite Songs: "Blind", "Ghost", "This August Day", "Beast", "The Fallen"
Least Favorite Songs: "Sirens", "Justify", "Flawed Design"

"N.A.T.I.O.N." by Bad Wolves
 Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Talk about some wasted potential. Even though Bad Wolves's debut album "Disobey" didn't really age well with me, I still felt ultimately that it showed a band that could shake up the radio rock scene a little by adding some intensity and interesting political commentary into the mix. That stuff is mostly gone on this new album. What's more frustrating is the first couple tracks on the album really show a band that is improving. "I'll Be There" is an undeniable banger and quite possibly the band's best song to date. "No Messiah" is a huge, intense cut with one of a memorable chorus, and "Learn To Walk Again" feels like a successor of sorts to "Learn to Live" (not a bad thing). Unfortunately, after these three songs the album takes a big tank in quality. "Killing Me Slowly" is one of the most generic radio rock songs I've heard all year, with the chord progressions being quite predictable. "Sober" is a track that drowns itself in cheesiness in its attempts to sound nostalgic and wistful. Cuts like "Foe or Friend" and "LA Song" try to be intense, but cancel themselves out with some really awful lyrics. How are we supposed to take an intense song seriously when it has lyrics like "I drive in my ride with that LA pride/Now it's a ride along/Singing that LA song"? I really wish I liked this album more, but it's just another in a sea of forgettable, trope-filled, radio rock releases.

Favorite Songs: "I'll Be There", "No Messiah", "Learn To Walk Again"
Least Favorite Songs: "Sober", "LA Song", "Foe or Friend", "Crying Game"

"Parasite" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 5/5 Stars

I don't really talk as much about foreign films/directors on this site as I would like to, and maybe that needs to change. One of the best directors working out there right now is Joon-ho Bong. Just look at his impressive filmography: he's made great works like "Snowpiercer" (one of the most creative dystopian films I've ever seen) and "The Host". I also really enjoyed "Okja", although maybe not to the same extent as the other two films. Something that Bong does incredibly well is combine many genres together in the same film. He is attempting to do the same thing with "Parasite", which is about a poor, unemployed family who trick their way into working for a rich family. This simple premise leads to a lot of complicated and clever commentary on class relations, as well as some superb characters and performances. This is one of the most unique films I've seen in recent memory, and will almost certainly be my favorite movie of the year.

From beginning to end, "Parasite" is pretty much flawless. Every moment in this film feels essential; there is no dead air or filler moments. Every frame is used to progress the plot and/or develop one of the many interesting characters that appear in this film. Joon-ho Bong is in absolute command of his craft throughout this movie. It's been a while since I've seen a film that is effortlessly superb. You don't even truly notice all the great things on their own; instead, they all blend together because this movie is just that good. One of the most impressive things about the movie is its many styles of cinematography. There are so many different types of shots done throughout the film, and they are always done with the purpose of giving off a distinctive tone. Some shots here look right out of an action movie, while others look like they would blend right into a classic horror film. The creativity of the cinematography is off the charts, with Bong doing some really cool shots that are meant to parallel one another and create commentary. The score in this movie is also excellent. There's some great music choices here, which help create the moods of scenes to an absolutely flawless degree. Like I mentioned before, the way this movie flows is pretty much flawless. What's particularly impressive about this is the fact that the film has a pretty different first and second half. The first half of the film is definitely more of a comedy with some dramatic elements, while the second half is pretty much a straight up horror/thriller flick. In less experienced hands, this dramatic genre shift could've felt entirely awkward and forced. But not in Bong's hands. The transition here works so well, it's sort of shocking. It comes out of absolutely nowhere, and it's impossible not to be invested once the transition happens. Trust me, you won't be ready for it, but let the film take you on its amazing ride. I promise it'll be worth your time.

This movie has some incredible thematic heft in it. I could see there being several different thematic arcs you could derive from it, and I'll talk about a couple. The movie's name reinforces what is probably the biggest question of the film: which family is the bigger parasite? Is it the unemployed Kim family, who force and deceive their way into a rich family's lives, and in the process being more like leeches thriving off the rich? Or are the parasites the naive Park family, who are unaware of their massive privilege and the fact that they are prejudiced towards those who are lower class than they are? I appreciate that Bong doesn't really lean one way or the other in his exploration of the theme, instead just letting it naturally play out. This arc doesn't take away from the very interesting central story; in fact, it adds to it. I could also see people interpreting this movie as a study on greed. And it certainly could be looked at like that; in fact, it could be interpreted as a parable in some ways. The movie is larger than life, and like a parable, has moments that are clearly meant to be symbolic. I also appreciate that the movie has studies on how different generations view class structure. It's really interesting to see someone like the patriarch of the Kim family, Ki-taek, being more nihilistic about the family's situation. However, someone like Kim Ki-woo is much more optimistic in thinking that his family could get out of their situation with the right plan in place. Even with the rich the generational divide is interesting. The younger daughter Park Da-hye seems to at least "see" the lower class Kim family for who they are more quickly than anyone else. The matriarch Park Yeon-kyo is much more naive, and doesn't seem to realize how fortunate she is in her position. These multiple ideas all happening at the same time make for a film that is thoroughly engrossing, and one that could be talked about for a long time. This is only a good thing.

The great characters and performances in this film are almost too many to count. It's really hard to say who the best character in the film is, because pretty much all of them are equally intriguing. If I had to choose a favorite, I would go with Kim Ki-woo, played expertly by Woo-sik Choi. This character has a lot more going on than just his desire to go up in class rank. There are a lot of deep layers to this character, which are cleverly revealed through his relation to this art piece he gets as a gift. It's really interesting as we learn more about him. Choi makes a lot of wonderful acting choices here, getting to show off his comedic and dramatic chops. He nails both of those sides of his character to sheer perfection. A lot of people are going to latch on to Kang-ho Song's performance of main character Kim Ki-taek, and for good reason. This character starts off seeming like he's overall carefree while being clever, but as the movie goes on, we realize the type of person he can be when put under pressure. This movie shows multiple sides to every character. No character in the movie is one personality trait. All characters are alternately likeable and despicable at one moment are another. I appreciate also that every character has some sort of arc or change they go through by the end of the movie. For some movies, this is hard to do for even one character. It's truly amazing this movie has development for about seven different people. There are many other performances still to commend. Yeo-jeong Jo is unbelievably great as the matriarch of the Park family. She does a superb job at navigating between her character being naive as well as legitimately caring of other people (in her own odd way). Sun-kyun Lee is great at making the somewhat arrogant Park patriarch pretty likeable in a lot of moments. What's important in this movie is you sympathize with both the rich and poor families. Both of them feel relatable in their own interesting ways. Other great performances include Ji-so Jung as the reserved Park Day-hye and So-dam Park as the clever and often funny Kim Ki-jung.

There is a lot to commend "Parasite" for, from its multiple thematic ruminations to the bevy of excellently developed characters. This is about as flawless of a movie as you could get. It really took my breath away upon first viewing. There's so much to take in, and I definitely want to see the movie some more so I can appreciate all the great things it has to offer. I would be perfectly happy if I were to find out that this movie earned the Oscar for Best Picture tomorrow. I'm that confident that it fully deserves it, and it would be a criminal offense for it not to be nominated. Movies like this come so rarely, and I would say that this is a necessary film to watch before you die. I'm serious; it's that good. This is easily my favorite film of the year so far!

Highly Suspect "MCID" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 2/5 Stars

One of the many bands being hailed as the "saviors of rock" is Highly Suspect. Even though I can't say I passionately agree with this statement, I still understand where people are coming from. The band's debut album "Mister Asylum" is a superb blues rock effort, and remains to be the band's best work to date. I also appreciate the album "The Boy Who Died Wolf", even if at this point "My Name Is Human" annoys me to no end. The band had two great albums back to back, which is always promising. So, I was pretty excited to get into their third effort. The album title made me a little hesitant. "MCID" is an acronym for "My Crew Is Dope", 'crew' referring to Highly Suspect's fans. That album title made me cringe a little bit. But hey, the album is for the fans. What could possibly go wrong? Unfortunately, a lot. This album is a freaking mess.

What's truly frustrating about this album is that there are some real standout moments. But in sixteen tracks, these standouts are rare to come by and are always surrounded by tracks that are either dull or truly awful. One of the best songs on the album is definitely "Upperdrugs", which does a lot of interesting things in its five-minute run time. I appreciate Johnny Stevens being very vulnerable and honest about crippling addiction. The intense musicality compliments the song very well. "16" is probably my favorite song on the album, as it embraces pop influences to powerful effect. I like how catchy the song is, with the choral vocals giving the song an epic weight. The lyrics of the song are honestly pretty brutal as Johnny sings out "It took me 16 years to find ya/One second to love ya/Seven years to hold ya/One minute to lose ya". When you look into the story of the song, those lyrics become even more tragic, probably making this the best lyrical moment of the album. Sadly, there aren't any other lyrics that truly stand out to me (at least in a positive way). "Canals" is a solid rocker that pushes forward some legitimate-feeling politicized anger. I do feel the song could've pushed the intensity even further, but it's okay for what it is. The album ends well with "Snow White", which is where the band all feel the tightest musically.

As you can see, the positives on this album are very few and far between. More often than not, this album is a real head scratcher. This album is supposed to be "for the fans", and yet I can't see how this is the case. This album almost entirely abandons the blues rock style the band is known for and instead deviates in a bevy of directions. I am all for trying new things, but this album is a mess. If I could compare it to any other album, it's like Fall Out Boy's disaster work "Mania". It seems like Highly Suspect is just throwing all sorts of different styles at the wall and seeing what sticks. Just look at "Fly" for a clear example. This is one of the weakest album openers I've heard all year. Musically, it just doesn't hook you in with its emphasis on electronics. None of the band members seem invested in entirely dedicating to this style, especially in the very mediocre chorus. Even the lyrics are half-hearted. In one verse Johnny will talk about his struggles with mental health, but at the end he says "Shout out to Jolene to dog". So which one is this song? An honest talk about mental health, or a comedic hype track? It's clear the band didn't know what to do. "Freakstreet" is an even bigger mess, with its slap-dash combination of rock, rap, and electronics. It doesn't surprise me too much that Johnny has some rap influences, as you could see evidence of this on "My Name Is Human". His rapping in this song, to be frank, is awful. It feels nasally and whiny, and his flow is usually off. I hate to say it, but Young Thug manages to outshine Johnny on "Tokyo Ghoul". Though I don't like the song, it actually ends up being the best of the four songs on this album with featured artists. The lyrics on the song are still an absolute disaster: "You say that you love me (Dirt boy, dirt life, dirt bike, whip)/But I don't wanna be your slave/So many people judge me". And yes, this song does have unnecessary little quips in pretty much every verse, which is something I never thought Highly Suspect would do.

Speaking of the features, they are also all over the place. Would you believe me if I told you that Young Thug, Gojira, Tee Grizzley, and Conor Mason from Nothing But Thieves are all featured on this same album? If you were to tell me this, I'd probably laugh in your face, as those groups don't seem like they would fit on a cohesive album at all. And trust me, on "MCID", they don't. It is a horrible whiplash to go directly from "Tokyo Ghoul" featuring Young Thug to "SOS" featuring Gojira. For as much as I respect Gojira, they just don't work with Highly Suspect's musical style. The intense screaming does not work against the lighter rock flares of "SOS", and Johnny's voice doesn't vibe with the heavy guitars either. The song ended up being one of my least favorites, which is a real shame. The same goes for "@tddybear" (what an awful song title), featuring Conor Mason. Both his and Johnny's vocals are wasted on lyrics that whine about a lost love interest. They sound like a petulant child when they sing out "Wish I could be your teddy bear". Only AJR has made me physically cringe like that this year, making this easily one of the worst songs of the year. "The Silk Road" is almost as bad. Tee Grizzley barely saves the song from total awfulness because he's at least having some fun. The song is still quite bad, though. Cuts like "Taking Off", "Tetsuo's Bike", "Juzo", and "Arizona" come and go without leaving any impression whatsoever. A 16 track-album needs to keep you engaged, and the fact is, this album just doesn't. And then there's "These Days", where once again the lyrics frustratingly ruin what could be a decent song. I really hated how faux-edgy the song is, as Johnny legitimately says things like "Sometimes, I need to bust a nut" and "You're saying that you wish that I was playing with your butt". Just truly embarrassing and garbage lyricism.

I really wasn't expecting to dislike this album so much. But that is sadly the case. There are some good songs here, and even a great one in "16"). However, these moments are entirely overshadowed by all the messy, disposable waste that fills up the rest of "MCID". The album title is cringe, and so is the album itself. Besides some select tracks, I would advise you to avoid this one. This is one of the worst albums of the year, much to my disappointment.

Favorite Songs: "16", "Snow White", "Upperdrugs", "Canals"
Least Favorite Songs: "@tddybear", "The Silk Road", "SOS", "These Days", "Tokyo Ghoul", "Freakstreet"

"The Lighthouse" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

In what continues to be an intriguing modern-day horror landscape, Robert Eggers has quickly made himself a name to be watched out for. Though I wasn't entirely fond of "The Witch" on my first watch, I think I've come to appreciate it a lot more. Now, I probably lean more towards liking it rather than being mixed on it. The movie had some truly unsettling moments, and proved that Eggers could get standout performances from his cast- Anya Taylor-Joy being the most obvious example of this. I have been interested to see what his next outing would be. Now it's here, and it's in "The Lighthouse". This film centers solely on two lighthouse keepers named Thomas and Winslow. Winslow seems to be on the run from something, and so has decided to work for the elderly and somewhat weird Thomas. Winslow soon discovers that there seems to be more than meets the eye on this island he's at, and the lighthouse itself has a mysterious allure.

This movie is one of the most enthralling viewing experiences I've had all year. Pretty much everything is done right here. One of the most unique things about this movie is that it's filmed in black and white. This choice turns out to be a very inspired one, as this film does have a very old timey feel to it, almost as if you're discovering a relic from an age long since past. The movie is also paced like an older film would be, having a steady slow burn feel to it that really made me more intrigued to know what was going on as more time passed. There's hardly ever a time watching this movie when I was bored. Even the parts that do seem somewhat tedious at the beginning of the film suddenly begin to have a purpose once you realize what's going on. The usage of black and white also helps with some of the coolest looking shots I've seen this year. The lighting in this film is almost a personality of its own, as it can create the mood of a scene without the characters having to say a word. Atmosphere in this movie was absolutely key for it needing to work, as the scares here almost solely come from the implications of presences rather than physical scares. There's not a single jump scare in this film, and yet it manages to be scarier than any of this year's jump scare fests, like "Eli" or "Brightburn". Eggers has an almost unsettling grasp on what it means to make a scare work on the screen. There are moments in this film that are legitimately white knuckled. Another great aspect of the movie is the way the sound works. This movie thrives on silence in many moments, so when noises come into the picture, you know you'd better pay attention. I appreciate that the movie uses almost entirely natural noises that would come from a ship, which helps create the sea-faring world these two characters live in. The noises of the film almost create their own unique musical score, albeit a thoroughly cacophonous and eerie one. The production value in this film is startling in a lot of places, like the way that lighting creates otherworldly shadows, or the way that a shot keeps all the action going on right in front of you.

As my frequent readers probably know by now, I am a sucker for consistent and compelling thematic arcs. "The Lighthouse" has them in abundance. Probably the easiest one to identify is how isolation brings out our true selves, often to frightening degrees. As is shown through both the characters of Winslow and Thomas, in critically isolated situations we will turn to our baser natures and only care about surviving. There is, of course, the question of how much the island has to do with the characters going crazy. I would say that it's up to your interpretation on this level. You can see the island as a place where characters literally face their demons, or maybe it's a more metaphorical location. I like that Eggers doesn't give us the direct answer. It sort of cleverly puts us in the same place as our protagonist, wanting to get answers from the lighthouse but always being an arm's length away. The film doesn't leave you unsatisfied with the way it answers its main thematic arc in my opinion, as I left this film feeling like I got a real sense of closure. It was an unsettling closure, to be sure, but it was a good kind of unsettling. The other main theme, to me, seems to be the way guilt of past transgressions affects our actions in the present. Getting into this too much would be delving into spoilers, but I will say that the way the film presents this is very smart and unique. I haven't quite seen this theme shown in the way this film does before.

There are only two performances in this film, and man both of them are stellar. Anyone who still thinks Robert Pattinson would not be a good Batman at this point is a moron. For as much as I loved his performance in "Good Time" (and in "High Life" more recently), his turn here as Winslow might be his best yet. This character is endlessly great to watch, as Pattinson does masterful work at revealing more and more layers to him.  There are points when he has to take some significant acting risks, and they pretty much always pay off. There's never a point when his performance is too silly or too over the top; rather, it's always appropriate for the tone that the film is going for. There's a particularly unforgettable moment from him near the end of the film that gave me cold chills. I think Pattinson is showing himself to be one of the best modern-day actors out there, and if he keeps at it, he could become an all-time best later on down the road. And yet, for as much as I love Pattinson in this film, it's Willem Dafoe who turns out to be my favorite. He basically disappears into the character of Thomas. He embodies the mysterious, elderly sailor, who may or may not be hiding an inner darkness. Every single line in this movie Dafoe delivers with absolute conviction. I particularly love when he's telling these nautical fairy tales that may or may not be real. The way he tells the stories makes you sit up in your seat, and makes you disappointed once he's done. Some of his lines here he delivers with a real sense of Shakespearian believability, making this a character that is impossible not to be enraptured by. I appreciate that the movie makes him both accessible and mysterious, a character of contradictions. Dafoe nails Thomas's clashing qualities to an impressive degree. The way Dafoe and Pattinson work off each other is incredible. The chemistry the two have together is unique, and you really begin to understand their relationship in an intimate way. I appreciate that Eggers really let his two actors live in this world; you can tell that they are both dedicated to making their characters as realistic as possible. If Dafoe or Pattinson doesn't at least get an Oscar nomination, I will be very upset.

There aren't too many real weaknesses for the movie. I suppose that in the beginning, this movie does take a while to really get its wheels turning. Like I mentioned earlier, I do understand why the movie had a slow start, but for some, I could see this as an easy way for them to lose interest in the movie early on. This is the only issue I had with the film, and it's honestly a nitpick more than anything else. "The Lighthouse" is an undeniably excellent horror movie. It could rank up there with the best of them in future, and it could even be considered a masterpiece in general. I'm not sure I could make that statement definitively yet, but this movie really left an impression on me. I promise you do not want to miss out on yet another great Eggers film. I can't wait to see what he does next!