reviews
MUSIC: The Decemberists, The Hazard of Love
The Decemberists create a unique blend of folkish-indie music and British pop rock on their fifth studio album, The Hazards of Love, but fail to accomplish much musically or lyrically.
The concept album tells the story of a fairmaid named Margaret who is haunted by an evil demon. If it sounds a little over the top, it is. Though the album has some definite high points, its overall dreary tone and repetitive song-structure make for a lame experience.
The Decemberists are known for their excellent storytelling and smooth melodies. Both are lacking on The Hazards of Love.The medieval fairy tale story is difficult to follow and a little too intense to take seriously. The album definitely has some great melodies, but overall the reoccurring medieval-esque sounds The Decemberists try to produce don't have the fundamental musical qualities their earlier work does.
"Isn't It a Lovely Night?" is a slow-moving medieval folk tune that sounds as if it could be from The Legend of Zelda games with its ancient organ work and simple rhythm.
"The Hazards of Love 1" is a decent song that incorporates an eerie acoustic guitar melody with some expressive lyrics.
However, the album is truly at its best when it digresses from the majority of the music and takes a creative turn. The album does this on
"The Rake's Song" when The Decemberists get away from the folky story telling and head for the poppy electric sounds and smooth melodies they have the ability to produce.
The Hazards of Love is a creative idea, no doubt. The actual music, however, falls short of the original concept and listeners are left with an over-the-top, illegitimate attempt to sound original.
Danny Nordstrom
MOVIE: Waltz with Bashir
Waltz with Bashir presents Israeli director Ari Folman's personal quest to explore his participation in the 1982 Lebanon War, memories of which he cannot remember. Collecting interviews from friends and fellow soldiers, Folman uses highly stylized animation to dramatize their stories.
This hallucinatory take on war succeeds as an exercise in exploratory filmmaking mostly because of the energy that informs the film. The images Folman and his team of animators create are exotic, terrifying and sublime.
However, Waltz with Bashir loses as it gains, with the film's stirring images overwhelming the simplicity of Folman's mission. We are approached with the horror of war, but it is impressionistic and diluted by time and memory loss. Nothing feels concrete and instead the film slips into a haunting phantasmagoric freeform, punctuated by Max Richter's pulsing electronic score, which is not a slight per se, it's just that this overdrive in tone questions the self-importance of the film (animated documentary), especially when the subject is worthy of a more concrete handling.As a history lesson, Bashir is less successful. But
as a record of loss, the film is a brazenly brilliant nightmare through the corroded hallways of memory.
— Chance Dibben
Waltz with Bashir is playing at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts Street.
MUSIC: Chris Cornell, Scream
After 20 years, Chris Cornell continues to leaves his everlasting presence of talent and individuality in the music world. In his latest album, Scream, Cornell offers energetic beats and grungy vocals that make fans move. His collaboration with mega-producer Timbaland gives Scream the edge and variety that is necessary to keep fans dancing. This album demonstrates why the multi-Grammy winner is still ahead of the game.
Cornell gets in deep when he breaks the line between hip hop and rock, combining the two genres into his own unique sound. Though his redefined tunes are not what fans are used to, the new sound is fresh and vigorous.
The album kicks off with retro sounds in "Part of Me," which later picks up and gives a lively tone that brings fans to the dance floor. In "Scream,""Get Up" and "Watch Out," fans experience the upbeat tempo and diversified sounds rock, hip-hop and techno sounds.
Some songs are chorus-heavy in ballads such as "Never Far Away" and "Sweet Revenge." But the eclectic beats make the lack of lyrics bearable.
Scream is an album that fans would enjoy
because of Cornell's ability to mix tunes and blend genres.This is one album worth listening to.
Brieun Scott
March 26, 2009
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