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Delta - Mumford & Sons (Album Review)

12/11/2018

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After waiting for three years, Mumford & Sons fans can finally rejoice.  Alas, the folk-rockers are back with their most experimental and well-written work to date.  The album is full of heavy, but still folky hits that soar the listener straight into the wild nature that surrounds us.  The first track on the album, "42", builds up into a dramatic stadium rock song.  The videos of Marcus clashing on the snare drums in live performances makes the song even more intriguing.  

As if returning to form, the album's second track reminisces on the folk background that Mumford fans originally loved.  "Guiding Light" seems to be a mesh of the old and new style that the band's sound has evolved into.  Furthermore, the song is a beautifully written poem with a flow that never ceases to move forward.  The rhythm and ambient sounds play off of each other to progress the sound in wave motions.  Yet just as the album starts to take off, the listener settles into a subdued track, "Woman".  The flow still progresses, but the vocals are a bit more laid back.  Fans of Babel might argue that this is not the hard-hitting Mumford that they loved back in the day, but this song shows that the band has evolved.

For listeners that did not like Wilder Mind but enjoyed the first two Mumford albums, "Beloved" brings back the folk spirit of the band with a banjo at the forefront.  This is my favorite song on the album and it's hard to argue that the lyrics don't light up the darkest aspects of our lives.  In recent interviews, Marcus has claimed that this song is about him watching his grandmother die.  With such a deep lyrical background, it is near impossible to listen to this song in the same way.

"The Wild" leads into the most experimental portion of the album, based mostly around instrumentals.  The creation of this nearly 6 minute track shows the versatility of each band member.  The whole band contributes to the masterpiece just as they contribute vocal backings on the next track, "October Skies".  Clearly Marcus, Winston, Ben, and Ted are capable of working together to create music that they truly believe in.

While Marcus can clearly lead the band in vocals, everyone is a part of every track.  In "Slip Away", Marcus takes the lead but every instrument holds weight.  The listener would never guess that this album was recorded in a converted Church.  The songs are often so heavy that you can imagine stained glass windows shattering under the decibels.  The slowed-down riff at the end of "Slip Away" hits the listener's ears, forcing them deeper into the construction of the song.

The second half of the album takes it slow, but always keeps the ambiance heavy.  "Picture You" catches a snapshot of the rhyming schemes that Mumford is capable of using to create a warm space.  This track flows straight into the least Mumford-esque track that they have ever written.  "Darkness Visible" is a full instrumental rock showcase.  This sounds more like a Muse song than a Mumford & Sons song.  Personally, I love it and will continue to support the ever-changing sound.  This would be crazy to see live and I can imagine audiences going nuts as the sound builds and builds and builds.

One of the lead singles for the album follows the hard-hitting track.  "If I Say" brings in an orchestral arrangement to fill up the empty space surrounded by Marcus's isolated vocals.  The 61 minute long album ends with three beautiful pieces of music.  "Wild Heart" is a quieter ballad with lovely guitar backing to accompany Marcus's charming voice.  The soundscape opens up more and more as the piece gains momentum.  Finally, the band drops us off with the titular track, "Delta".  This track is seemingly a culmination of the entire work, with experimentation and folky sounds combined.

Score: 9.5/10

Favorite Tracks: 
"42", "Guiding Light", "Beloved", "Slip Away", "Picture You", "Darkness Visible", "Wild Heart"

Least Favorite Tracks: "Rose of Sharon", "Forever"
Image credit: ​By Stefan Schäfer, Lich - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62977253
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Marvel Keeps Evolving (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)

12/9/2018

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For those of you patiently waiting for a glimpse of Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio, I feel your pain.  With my bias towards the friendly neighborhood superhero, I need to see the trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home and I need to see it asap.  In the midst of the wait, I was able to see an early screening of the new animated Spider-Man film.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is one of the best movies that Marvel has released to date.  I truly believe that Stan Lee (Doctor Strange, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Age of Ultron​) would be extremely proud of this film.  Combining diversity with animation and a stacked cast results in a new type of Marvel movie.  The story somewhat follows the same formula as previous Marvel films, but this is a new evolution for the powerhouse that is pushing out at least three movies a year.  

Sony Pictures Animation succeeds in a fresh style for the superhero that has been around forever.  Spider-Man was always my favorite Marvel superhero and this film keeps the character fresh.  The animation style is like nothing I've seen before, ranging from blurry vision to clear-cut characters.  The vibrancy of the colors kept my eyes glued to the screen at all times.  I have heard some complaints about the blurriness, but personally it makes for a beautiful big-screen experience.  Unfortunately, I only saw this on a regular screen and will need to see this again on either Dolby or in 3D to get even more out of the experience.

Spider-Man fans have been waiting for the debut of Miles Morales in the MCU, and we finally get a brilliant portrayal of this character.  Shameik Moore (Dope) contributes the voice for the new Spider-Man, but he is joined by many other characters that voice the hero.  Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit, The Edge of Seventeen, Ender's Game), Jake Johnson (Jurassic World, Safety Not Guaranteed), John Mulaney (Mulaney), Kimiko Glenn (Nerve), Nicholas Cage (Teen Titans Go! To the Movies), and Chris Pine (Star Trek, Wonder Woman) all voice different renditions of the superhero (unless I am missing someone, which is totally possible with the amount of characters).  This stacked cast could have slowed down the film, but rather the film proceeds smoothly so that children can remain entertained throughout the film.

Furthermore, the soundtrack is perfectly chosen for the hero's big-screen debut.  Post Malone's original song for the film is worthy of an Oscar-nod along with the original soundtrack that is crucial to the fluidity of action.  Pop culture references constantly pop onto the screen, creating a re-watchable animated film.  In fact, images of Chance the Rapper are on the screen so often that I wonder if he is making royalties off of the film.  Either way, there are some great Easter Eggs throughout the film for adults to enjoy.  No matter how often they pop up, it is exciting to see them.

The Bottom Line: With all of the live action Marvel films from the past to the present, it is a nice refreshment to see this unique animated take on one of the foundation characters for the MCU.

Score: 9/10
Image credit: ​By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Stan LeeUploaded by maybeMaybeMaybe, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22896794
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Classix 12: Washing Away Inequality (My Beautiful Laundrette)

12/3/2018

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With the Barnes & Noble Criterion Collection sale ending today, I chose a movie from my Criterion collection to ponder last night night.  My Beautiful Laundrette is an aged film that seems ever-so-relevant to this day.  The film centers around a young Pakistani Briton named Omar (Gordon Warnecke) with ambitious plans to promote within the working world.  When greed, corruption, sexual tension, and racial inequality start to affect his lifestyle, he continues to work hard and tries to make a difference for the people surrounding him.  Omar opens a laundromat in order to continue rising in the working world, against the wishes of his father.  

For a film released in 1985, the message is quite progressive even in the modern world.  Gordon Warnecke (Venus, A Fatal Inversion, Boon) turns the main character from an innocent Pakistani young man into a hard-working money-oriented individual.  The character's identity is always shadowed by other characters, as Omar reaches out to his family and his white co-worker/boyfriend for advice along his journey.  Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood, The Last of the Mohicans, Lincoln, Gangs of New York) plays the white boyfriend that causes a lot of the conflict surrounding Omar's life.  Day-Lewis hardly needs to talk in order to grab the audience's attention towards his character.  Johnny is a tough but also charming white Briton, raised around a rough group of friends.

Through clear direction, Stephen Frears's (Philomena, The Queen) early film portrays many powerful messages.  Hanif Kureishi's (Venus, My Son the Fanatic, Le Week-End) screenplay is simple, but includes many different aspects.  As a Pakistani in Britain, Omar is seen as a threat to Johnny's white friends.  The world is currently struggling with immigration policies, and this film displays some of the reasons why immigration is such a heated topic.  Furthermore, Omar and Johnny's relationship is a conflict for both of their friends/families.  The more the viewer looks into this film, the more conflicts arise throughout the short runtime.  While the score for this film is not the most powerful, it is interesting to note that Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, Inception, Dunkirk, Interstellar) composed the music.  The music fits into the film well, but I never would have guessed that Hans Zimmer created this subtle soundtrack.

The Bottom Line:  While My Beautiful Laundrette dates back to 1985, the topics discussed are still relevant to modern society's political struggles.  

Score: 8/10
Image credits:

By Nrbelex - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8954299

By Towpilot - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1289613

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