Review: Foxes - Glorious

Louisa Rose Allen, known more commonly by her stage name, Foxes, has been around for about 3 years. She gained notoriety after lending her vocals to Zedd's 'Clarity' and worked with Fall Out Boy on their latest album.

She has been releasing singles from her debut, Glorious, since September 2013, and many people in the UK will recognise her track 'Youth' from Debenham's 2013 Christmas advert. Earlier this year she also released Let Go For Tonight and Holding Onto Heaven. Foxes' Glorious opens with Talking to Ghosts, it's a strong opener, and features elements from dubstep to synthpop. Foxes' sound is definitely of the time, but there's an 80s influence creeping in as well. The album's first five tracks include the three already released singles, so it is a big opening.

The album slows with Night Glo, and there's no denying Foxes has a lovely voice, it suits her upbeat songs as much as her slow songs, but it is nice to hear it clearly on the slower songs. Night Owls Early Birds follows, and it is one of the best tracks on the album, a definite summer hit. The album's title track is a beautiful one, big bass drums and slow piano. Echo, to me, is definite of the time with artists such as Sam Smith rising in popularity, I could see this song doing well. The album ends on another slower song, Count The Saints which is a wonderful track.

Clarity features on the deluxe version of the album, and you can tell why it wasn't featured on the standard album. Foxes solo style is very different and while it is a good track for having a dance to, it's not as melodic as Foxes' other tracks.

I would give Glorious a 6/10, she's made a good album, it's easy to get into, and Foxes' certainly has a bright future ahead of her, but there are areas it does fall a little short.

Locke

On paper, Steven Knight's Locke doesn't sound like one of the best films of the year (so far), but that is, in my opinion, exactly what it is. The basic plot is that Ivan Locke, a well respected construction manager, see's his life unravel in the space of a 90-minute car journey from somewhere around Birmingham to London. What makes the film so unique is the fact that there is only one face in the entire movie, Locke himself (Tom Hardy). That is why it doesn't instantly leap out as a gripping emotional thriller, but it is.

Tom Hardy keeps all eyes firmly on the screen, giving an undeniably brilliant performance. Every emotion, every twist and turn that his life makes on the journey, you are right there with him. Surely, realism at its most real. The rest of the small cast is made up through voices only, and although they aren't unknown actors (Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, and Ruth Wilson are the bigger names in the small voice cast) so putting a face to a voice isn't hard, the fact we only see Locke is what makes the film so special.

The visuals are not dull either, as could have easily been the case on a nighttime drive across English motorways. The cinematography is kept interesting, with different angles and styles created with the motorway lights. I was also pleased that, while there was some obvious product placement, it wasn't a 90-minute advert for BMW either.

What this film is, is a film that deserves a great deal of recognition for being brave and taking a risk that really paid off. I highly recommend Locke.

Alkaline Trio - 19/04/2014 & 22/04/2014

So this week I did something I've not done before which is go to more than one date of a tour. The band was Alkaline Trio, who are my favourite bands, so if it had to be any band they seemed to be fitting! It was interesting though for me to see how the two compared.

Leeds Met - 19/04/2014

The last time I saw Alkaline Trio in 2012 was at Leeds Met, it isn't my favourite venue by a long shot, and with the (much bigger) Leeds Academy a stones throw away I don't know why they didn't go there! Anyway, the openers for the night were The Murderburgers, who are a punk three-piece from Scotland. They're a funny bunch, they don't speak much, in fact they barely stopped between songs to allow for applause!

Next up were Bayside, who as a support slot were a pretty big band. I admit to not having listened to much of their stuff, in my mind I had them pinned down as nothing like they actually are, and I really quite enjoyed them! They were fun, and you could tell a few crowd members had gone along really to see them which was nice.

Then came Alkaline Trio. Having seen them twice before I had an idea of what to expect from the show, and having peaked at the setlist I was pretty excited! They opened with This Could Be Love and moved into Hell Yes, two older songs which were bound to get the crowd going, but Leeds seemed to be lacking energy. I was on the barrier on the far right hand side but there was barely any crowd movement at all! Perhaps this was the beginning of their bad mood. By the time they got onto the fourth song, Every Thug Needs A Lady (one of my favourites), Dan Andriano was having trouble with his bass, he didn't stop the song and he sorted it out but you could tell that it had annoyed him, as it would any musician who was handed their instrument on stage and it wasn't properly tuned.

You could tell they weren't in a great mood, barely talking to the crowd, but they played on and they were great too. Leeds Met sound quality isn't anything special either. Then came "thumbs down guy", during Balanced On A Shelf, and Dine, Dine My Darling, (two newer songs) some guy kept putting his hand in the air with his thumb down. Matt Skiba noticed this, and was less than impressed. The guy did get thrown out, but after that, the mood was sour. I felt really bad for them, and couldn't get my head round why someone would pay £20 to see a band to then thumbs down them! So stupid.

They ended on Radio, as they always do, and everyone sang along. So while I left the gig on a high, I couldn't help but feel that it was a real shame those things had put them in a bad mood, and I was intrigued to see how Manchester would turn out.

Manchester Ritz - 22/04/2014

As a venue, I liked the Ritz, it's bigger but more built for purpose than Leeds Met. For this, my brother and I were situated on the balcony which was a good move really. A good view, less people and after Leeds really hurt our ears being directly in front of a speaker stack, we decided it would be better to keep our distance.

The Murderburgers and Bayside gave similar performances to Leeds, I think I enjoyed them more because I was more familiar with the songs this time. Then Alkaline Trio came on. It was plain to see they were in a much better mood! The crowd in Manchester were also full of energy, with mosh pits and crowd surfers aplenty. The setlist was exactly the same, but with more energy, so it made for a better show overall.

While I normally could never afford to go to multiple gigs of a tour, this has made me realise that sometimes it's worth it, and it's not something I would rule out doing again!

The Double

The Double is Richard Ayoade's latest film. It is based on the book by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I won't pretend to know anything about Dostoyevsky, but you don't really need to going in.

The film stars Jesse Eisenberg as Simon James, he is quiet, struggles with his identity, and feels pretty much invisible. He is overlooked by everyone, including his elderly mother, and Hannah (Mia Wasikowska), his love interest (whom he watches from his apartment with a telescope, instead of talking to her, until the suicide of a man who was following Hannah causes them to have an actual conversation). The arrival of James Simon (also Jesse Eisenberg) at work causes Simon James much distress. James Simon is his exact double in looks, and his exact opposite in personality and demeanour. At first Simon and James are friends, James offers to help Simon with his crippling low self esteem issues, but soon James begins to take over Simon's life. Thus ensues Simon James' identity crisis, struggling to cope that this double was everything he wanted to be and everything he hated at the same time, yet he was powerless to stop his behaviour, stop him taking credit for his work and stop him pursuing Hannah. 

Visually the film is very interesting, a very dark colour scheme (lots of browns and blacks), everything is square, and the film has no sense of time. Sometimes it feels very old fashioned, and sometimes it feels like it is set in quite a dystopian future, which only adds to the overall sense of uncertainty that carries throughout the film for the viewer. Saying that, it isn't challenging to watch nor is too confusing. Fans of Ayoade's first film Submarine will notice the inclusion of pretty much all the main cast in some small way which I have to admit to it being a nice little touch, and just shows they must have all enjoyed working with Ayoade enough to come back even for a bit part.

While The Double is strange, it's enjoyable and quite humorous in places, so I would say if that's your sort of thing then don't miss it!

Under The Skin

Jonathan Glazer's latest film, Under The Skin, is a sci-fi film unlike any I've ever seen. Dark and disturbing, the film follows Scarlett Johansson, who plays an alien in human form, as she drives the streets of Glasgow and the Scottish highlands in a white transit van in pursuit of men.

The film is certainly mysterious, and I imagine I could explain everything that happened and I feel you would still know nothing. Truly it is a visual masterpiece though, that can't be denied. There are beautiful landscape shots, actuality footage on the streets of Glasgow, and shots of the black, strange, eerie place that Johannson lures her unknowing victims. Some of the scenes are incredibly distressing to say the least (note the scene on the beach, which is just some of the most uncomfortable viewing I may have ever witnessed). The unearthly score by Mica Levi certainly adds to this overall creepiness, and sometimes it is definitely more of a horror than a sci-fi.

I think what's interesting is to see how Johansson's character develops, she isn't human, but the more time she spends around them the more human she seems, to see how the emotionless creature at the beginning of the film, who has no qualms stealing the clothes from a dead girl for herself, to the very much human creature at the end who feels true fear.  Maybe this is one of the messages in the film, in some way, about the qualities required to truly be human? I am only taking a stab in the dark though because really, I am none the wiser about what Under The Skin is trying to say.
            Now, I've thought about it for a while and I still am unsure of the films deeper meanings, I've read other reviews to try clarify it for me, but the only conclusion I can come to is that I think it's not a film that can be fully understood after one viewing. Maybe it can never really be understood. I wouldn't let that put you off though, if you like to be challenged with cinema, if you like films that truly do get under your skin, then this is a must.

Review - Her

Spike Jonze's latest offering, in it's very simplest form, is a story of love and loss, but if there's one thing Her certainly isn't, it's simple.

The film is set in the not too distant future, Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, a writer for BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com. Theodore's world, as is everyone's in this age, is entirely technology dominated. Although Theodore spends much of the beginning of the film fanaticising about his ex-wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) he is alone most of the time. Even his friend Amy (Amy Adams) doesn't see him very often, and his other human interaction is limited. It is around this time we meet the most up to date operating systems OS1. OS1 is a Siri-esque operating system that learns, adapts, has intuition and grows emotionally. Theodore's selected OS is Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) and from here on out, Theodore's feelings find him blurring the lines between what's really real and what isn't.

At first Samantha is simply helpful, but as she grows and becomes more aware, so does her relationship with Theodore and once romantic acts begin to be played out, everything feels very unnerving. Even as you see Theodore with other humans, he's never as at ease with them as he is with his OS. There are so many layers to the film, so many things it could be saying, possibly a commentary on people's relationships with technology, or people's relationships with each other. Essays could easily be written about the messages in Her.

Purely on face value though, it is a beautiful film. Soft lighting, gorgeous colours, great camera angles, but it's not a film to really be taken on face value alone. It is certainly thought provoking, a film that will cause differences of opinion and that is by no means a bad thing. I think personally, what was so unsettling, is that out if every A.I film I've seen, Her is certainly the most realistic, and that idea of what society could potentially become is quite scary! 

It is definitely not a film for everyone but it's definitely a great film to go and see, I do highly recommend it. 

Review - Too Much Information - Maxïmo Park

Those, like me, who have been with Maximo Park since the beginning, will notice a bit of a change in direction with some songs on Too Much Information. That being said, it's not a bad change. Every band's sound matures and listening to Too Much Information's predecessor The National Health, you can see that it was a very natural path to take.

The album opens with Give, Get, Take. It's a toe-tapping number, and instantly the presence of the synths are there, and this carries the album all the way through it's opening tracks. This leads through to Brain Cells, and Leave This Island, this is where that change in direction really comes into play. Two purely synth driven songs. It took a couple of listens to get used to the sound, but both carry what Maximo Park's strengths have always been, good lyrics and catchy tunes. I've found myself with both in my head on more than once occasion.

Lydia, The Ink Will Never Dry moves to more familiar sounds, certainly reminiscent of songs from earlier works such as Our Earthly Pleasures, just more mature. Maximo Park are now on their fifth studio album, so the changes in sound are not radical nor too surprising, simply the sounds of an established band who know what they like to play.
My Bloody Mind is a personal favourite of mine, it starts off punchy, fast-paced but halfway through slows down and becomes more melodic, the change on paper seems like it wouldn't work, but it blends so seamlessly you don't even notice.

Of the last few tracks on Too Much Information, Is It True?, Drinking Martinis, and Midnight On The Hill are of a similar vein to Lydia, in that they are in-keeping with Maximo Park's well established sound. I Recognise This Light is another of my favourites, fast-paced, one to sing along and have a bit of a dance to. Her Name Was Audre is an energetic song and definitely a track for the live shows, it does lead nicely, however, into the final track of the album, Where We're Going, which is a slower but very good song. It's a nice ending to the album.

Fans of Maximo Park are sure to enjoy this latest offering, and for any new fans it's a very easy album to listen to.

Review - Inside Llewyn Davis

Set in 1960s New York, Inside Llewyn Davis follows a young, struggling folk musician trying to make a living, before the days of Bob Dylan. Davis (played tremendously by Oscar Isaac) bounces from sofa to sofa in Greenwhich Village, playing gigs at the Gaslight when he can, and tying to make money from his first solo album. Along the way we meet some of the people in Davis' life, including musicians Jim (Justin Timberlake) and Jean (Carey Mulligan), and even though we only see a brief snippet of their lives, you can already see the beginnings of their various layers unravelling, especially Jean's.

The Coen brothers have delivered another fantastic piece of cinema. Llewyn Davis' story grabs you, and sends you on a journey where your opinions of the film's lead are constantly challenged. You get drawn into Davis' struggles, and you find yourself questioning if he really wants it enough to warrant the things he goes through and the things he does. I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, but the plot isn't what carries the film as much as the characters. Seeing brief snippets of other people's worlds while following Davis around is a nice touch, we meet characters such as Roland Turner (John Goodman) and Johnny Five (Garrett Hedlund), who clearly have a lot more going on with them than we ever really get to find out. We meet these people, but our relationship with them only goes as far as Davis' interaction, we never follow them on their own journeys, so there's always more to wonder about. 

While really, not a lot happens, so lovers of action may not be so enthralled, the film is so well acted and so beautifully dark to look at, you get entirely drawn in and always wonder what will happen to Llweyn Davis. It's certainly not surprising the film has been nominated for the 'best cinematography' Academy Award. If you get the chance, you should definitely see Inside Llweyn Davis.

Review - The Wolf of Wall Street

Sex. Drugs. Money. If I had to describe Martin Scorsese's new film in three words, they'd be the most obvious. But it is so much more than that. The film tells the story of Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker on Wall Street in the late '80s/early '90s. Belfort is ruthlessly played by Leonardo DiCaprio, a performance I feel would very much deserve the Oscar if he were to win.

The film follows Belfort as he goes from young, naive, first time broker, to discovering the not-so-glamorous world of penny stocks, and then setting up his own firm with the help of Donnie (Jonah Hill). The pair, along with Belfort's friends, set up Stratton Oakmont, in an attempt to target the richest 1% of America. As Stratton gains more money, the debauchery gets more extreme.

The cast cannot be faulted at all, every single member of the main cast gives a brilliant performance. DiCaprio is, of course, the stand out. The way he can go from charming to violent, sober to incredibly high, it builds a lot of dimensions, his character reminded me of Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) only without the murders, but definitely on that same psychopathic scale. Margot Robbie also gave a brilliant performance as Naomi, Belfort's wife, and as this was her first major Hollywood role I can see a very, very, bright future for her.

The film does not attempt to glamorise Belfort's world, and while I don't know anything about the real Jordan Belfort, it seemed obviously overexaggerated for the purposes of entertainment (the fact he takes so many drugs and is never once seen to have a proper overdose, let alone even a nose bleed at any point, proves it's hardly realistic), but there's nothing wrong with that. It is massively entertaining. It is a long film, at three hours, but it doesn't feel so long, it all works and there weren't points I found myself wondering what time it was.

I would definitely recommend it.

Review - Transgender Dysphoria Blues - Against Me!

If you are up to speed on the world of punk rock, or rock in general, then you should know about Laura Jane Grace. If, however, you don't, let me very quickly fill you in. In 2012, the lead singer of Against Me! came out publicly as being transgender (male to female transition), she has been given a huge amount of support since and rightly so.

That little bit of background is needed when listening to Against Me!'s latest, Transgender Dysphoria Blues. The record is a frank and open look at being transgender, lyrics such as "You want them to notice the ragged ends of your summer dress, you want them to see you like they see any other girl. They just see a faggot." from the album's title track open the record as in your face as it gets, and that is exactly what Grace set out to do. Fans of Against Me! will recognise those classic punchy beats and catchy hooks, the opening tracks Transgender Dysphoria Blues, True Trans Soul Rebel and Unconditional Love are definitely ones to be sung at the top of your lungs with your friends.

The fourth track on the album, Drinking With The Jocks, is the song I imagine Grace may have meant when she said "However fierce our band was in the past, imagine me, six-foot-two, in heels, fucking screaming into someone's face", it might be under 2 minutes long but it really does pack one helluva punch.

The album isn't all so in your face though, the almost ironically titled FUCKMYLIFE666 brings the album to a calmer pace, and it contains some of the most powerful lyrics on the album, "No more troubled sleep, there's a brave new world that's raging inside of me". The last few songs on the album take this slower pace, particularly Two Coffins, but the frank lyrics never cease. Apart from being a solid record of catchy lyrics and some very in-your-face songs, it is also a very honest and incredibly personal record, and at the same time it is so empowering not just for the transgender community, but for everyone regardless of their orientation. 

If Against Me!'s new album teaches us anything, it's that you have to be honest with who you are and love yourself, regardless of what anyone else thinks, and let's face it, that's probably the most punk thing you can do.

Review - Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

There is no denying that Nelson Mandela was a great man. Since his passing, he is in the public's consciousness in a very big way, so the timing of the release of Justin Chadwick's Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom seemed almost apt, thought it was not in any way planned.

The film itself takes us through Nelson Mandela's life, from his childhood to his presidential inauguration. The film is well-made, if not without a slight sprinkle of Hollywood. Mandela's life after the introduction of the Apartheid in 1948 was a difficult one, as it was for all black South Africans, but the film didn't seem to show it in a way that truly expressed how oppressed these people were. The film only has a 12A (UK) rating, therefore the scenes of violence were sort of skipped over, whereas I felt if the film had been more of an independent endeavour more would have been made of how truly desperate these times were.

The cinematography is certainly not at fault, with beautiful long-shots of a stunning South African backdrop in scenes of Mandela as a child and when he goes back to his home village. I personally enjoyed the use of actuality footage of the world's reaction to the injustice in South Africa. The costume design, especially for Winnie Mandela (Naomie Harris), was very good. I did enjoy the strong contrast between more traditional African dress and well-cut smart suits and dresses.
The acting cannot be faulted either. Idris Elba gave an incredibly strong performance as Mandela; managing to keep hope in his eyes even when there seemed to be none. Naomie Harris stole the show as Winnie Mandela, her character was certainly multi-dimensional. Even at her strongest, there was no denying a certain fear about her for her people.

The main problem with the film, however, was the timescale. It was simply too big and therefore the film seemed to lose focus sometimes. There was so much going on during Mandela's life that fitting  50+ years into 2 hours and 21 minutes was a tall order for any director. The parts leading up to his arrest seemed very rushed, there was not much time to build on his character before his imprisonment, no time to even cover what the breakdown of his first marriage made him feel or the early relationship between Mandela and Winnie.
        If the film had set it's focus purely on Mandela's time in prison how that affected him and how that in turn had affected the segregation of black South Africans, and how Winnie continued to fight for their right to freedom until Mandela's release, then so much more could have been delved into.

The film is based on Mandela's own autobiography and he personally gave permission for the film to be made, so I do not doubt any of the credibility of the story or the feelings, I just think that to try and cover so much of such a great man's life in such a short time was not really doing him enough justice. That said, I would still recommend seeing Long Walk to Freedom.