The Ephemeric

The 10 Most Highly Anticipated Albums of 2012

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000Z

Welcome back. We hope you enjoyed our preview of the most exciting movies of 2012, and judging by our analytics it looks like you did! Today it is time to look at one of the other great passions in life, music.

This year we're changing the format a little bit; rather than two distinct lists of albums from new and returning bands we will be going with a simple top 10 list combining the best of both. Be sure to take the precise order with a pinch of salt as it will be based on a myriad of factors including quality, intrigue, and how likely we are to actually see the release in 2012. Rest assured though, every entry on this list has more than earned it's place.

So behold, here is the top ten list of albums to keep an eye on in the coming year, starting with number 10:

10. Untitled - Bloc Party

Bloc Party return following frontman Kele Okereke's ill advised dalliance in solo work. Will it be a return to form for one of Britain's brightest musical products of the last 10 years?

Known for their classic hits such as I Still Remember and Banquet, hype for the band has nevertheless cooled off to a certain extent in recent years following a mediocre third studio album and years of absence since.

Fortunately a nice restful hiatus can do the world of good for a band, and we can only hope that 2012 marks the return of a very fine group of performers indeed. Release date is slated optimistically for 2012, but there is a chance this may yet slip.

Release Date: TBA 2012

9. MGMT - MGMT

One of the Ephemeric's hotly tipped bands of 2008, MGMT's debut album Oracular Spectacular brought the band what some might describe as crazy success. Songs like Time to Pretend and Kids will be etched into the memory for a long time to come, and expectation will surely follow from here on in.

This is exactly what happened with their follow up, Congratulations, wherein the band decided to raise a middle finger to expectation and record a rather more experimental, non-commercial, and some might say self-indulgent album.

Going back to basics with their self-titled third album, and with decidedly more intrusive oversight from the record label if stories are to be believed, MGMT describe their new material as "fun and rewarding". Beyond this it's anyone's guess what direction they will take this time, and whether the band can bring back some of the more fickle hype fans they scared away last time. Either way be sure to expect psychedelia aplenty, with insightful and most likely self-flagellating lyrics.

Release Date: TBA 2012

8. Youth - Simian Ghost (New band)

Our first new(ish) band on the list. Simian Ghost did in fact release a moderately received debut album last year but that hasn't stopped them from pencilling in an audacious follow up only a year later, and from what's been heard so far it looks like the latest Swedish wunderband might be ready to move onto big things.

The Guardian has called new album Youth an early contender for album of the year, and other early coverage has been similarly bright. Listen to first single Wolf Girl and judge for yourself.

In this humble braggart's opinion, if the rest of the album is as lush and melodic as the single, then all signs point to excellence.

Release Date: March 5th 2012

7. Shallow Bed - Dry the River (New band)

Another new band, Dry the River are already moderately well known in the United Kingdom following two successive years of playing Glastonbury and touring, and recently featured in the BBC's "Sound of 2012".

After an apparently fierce bidding war, debut album Shallow Bed will finally see release this Spring. Expect an eclectic assortment from a group that's as comfortable with Killers-style anthems as Mumford and Sons style semi-acoustic melodies.

For a perfect example of this see two songs from the upcoming album: the fairly badass New Ceremony, and the rather more down-tempo No Rest. Could get interesting, keep an eye on it.

Release Date: March 5th 2012

6. Born to Die - Lana Del Rey (New band)

Lana Del Rey seems to be all the rage right now, with many critics including the Sunday Times naming her delicious piece of noir-pop Video Games as one of the songs of the year.

It remains to be seen if the rest of Born to Die will live up to its first single, but here you have a good looking girl with a great voice, and buckets of hype. Whatever happens, the Ephemeric radar predicts this album to be big, and the Ephemeric radar is rarely wrong.

Release Date: October 26th 2012

5. Untitled - Goldfrapp

Genuine chameleons of the electro-pop world, Goldfrapp has dabbled in everything from Kylie Minogue-esque neon to ambient acoustic serenity and even 80s dance anthems.

With their new as yet untitled album they could revisit any of these styles or head some place completely new. If the first song revealed, Melancholy Sky, is any indication however, we might be in for a touch of the same down-tempo delights of previous album Seventh Tree.

The exact release date is unknown, but fingers crossed we see it in 2012.

Release Date: TBA 2012

4. Untitled, and Kisses on the Bottom - Paul McCartney

Former Beatle and elder statesman of Rock and Roll Paul McCartney returns for his fifteenth studio album. Kisses on the Bottom will contain a mix of covered jazz classics and new material, and feature collaborations with the likes of Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder.

But in addition to this he will apparently also be releasing an as yet untitled album which promises more of the pop stylings he is known for. Frankly I'm excited about both prospects, and we are making them joint 4th place on this list.

Honestly there's little else that can be said about McCartney that has not been said already. The man has earned his status as one of the finest songwriters of all time with a career spanning 50 years and going strong. If these match up to his last release in 2008 under the name The Fireman then we are in for a treat.

Release Date: TBA 2012, and February 7th 2012

3. Port of Morrow - The Shins

Following some time off working on a few rather excellent side projects, James Mercer is finally returning to the band which made him famous, The Shins, for their first studio album in five years.

It's hard to guess what's in store for Port of Morrow from a band known for producing such varied and eclectic sounds, from the acoustic stylings of New Slang to the 1960s psychedelia of Girl Inform Me and the more traditional indie rock of Phantom Limb.

So far just the one new song, titled Simple Song, has been revealed and it kinda rocks. As such I have pretty high hopes for this album when it is released come the Spring time.

Release Date: March 20th 2012

2. Battle Born - The Killers

Alright now we are talking. The boys have returned from hiatus and their various solo efforts, and they are recording a new album. That's right, arguably one of the biggest new bands of the last 10 years, The Killers, are back. I mean, do I really even need to post a link to Mr. Brightside or All These Things I've Done? Didn't think so, but I did it anyway.

Little is known of the new album, tentatively titled Battle Born, except that it will supposedly mark a return to the more guitar-based milieu a la Hot Fuss. The band are well known for mixing things up and playing with different styles and inspirations though, so expect something that is nevertheless fresh.

So far the only new song to be heard is this rough around the edges live recording of The Rising Tide, sounding in this man's humble opinion a bit like a cross between the Springsteen-esque style of Sam's Town and Hot Fuss. Not a fan of the new haircut, and Brandon needs to watch out for those high notes, but still looking forward to this album.

Release Date: Summer 2012

1. Untitled - Passion Pit

And this year's number one most highly anticipated album sees the return of another former Ephemeric success story. Passion Pit were a hotly tipped new band back in 2008 when their early EP did the internet rounds and generated immense buzz, and were essentially the hype band of 2009.

No doubt many of you will recognise ubiquitous songs like Moths Wings and Sleepyhead. Now Passion Pit returns with their as yet untitled follow up album, originally due for release last spring, but delayed until 2012. Expect more of the same lush, euphoric melodies and addictive, impossibly uplifting production, plus the invaluable added benefit of experience.

Described by frontman Michael Angelakos as "beautiful, exciting and fun", so far the only taste we've got of new material comes from this sweet live recording of American Blood. Early days yet and no word on precisely when it will see release, but this one is looking pretty special.

Release Date: TBA 2012

Honorable mention must go to new albums from British hip hop artist extraordinaire M.I.A. as well as the experimental electronica of Crystal Castles and in particular a rather promising sounding debut from the acoustic stylings of Michael Kiwanuka which was unlucky not to make it onto our top 10.

Lastly there is also a rumour that Mercury Prize winner (and former Ephemeric hot tip) The XX may be on the verge of releasing a follow up album in the next year. Sadly I'm pretty skeptical that this will actually happen, and so they miss out on a top 10 spot they would otherwise easily have earned.

Tune in next week for the best upcoming video games of 2012!

The 10 Most Exciting Movies of 2012

2012-01-14T00:00:00.000Z

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to 2012. Now that the new year has had time to settle in, take its shoes off and make itself at home, I think it's about time to start having a look at what awaits us over the next 12 months. We begin with our in depth look at 2012 in films.

This list looks at films released after the deadline for the 2012 Oscars. As with every year, we can only express our condolences to top films like the Artist and the Descendants which open during the awkward lapse between the end of year Debbies and the Oscars. Sadly they will not be considered on this list as "2012 films" despite their apparent excellence and 2012 release date.

So behold, here is the top ten list of key films to keep an eye on in the coming year (trailers linked in the title where available), starting with number 10:

10. The Great Gatsby

This could be a bit special. F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel is being brought to the big screen again, this time courtesy of director Baz Luhrmann and starring the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire.

With the array of talent involved in this project great things are to be expected, and the Christmas day release date suggests they mean business.

It will be interesting to see how Luhrmann approaches this film given his track record for heavily stylised, overly sentimental romantic films, but it might just be a perfect fit for him. DiCaprio meanwhile will be hoping to make up for the likely disappointment of not winning the Oscar this year for J. Edgar (yeah I'm calling it) and Mulligan, who is pretty much the hottest up and coming young actress in Hollywood, may finally find the role that takes her to the next level.

Release Date: December 25th 2012

9. Les Miserables

The legendary musical will finally get a proper musical film adaption, and now I'm going to tell you why that's something to get excited about. Les Miserables is the longest running musical in the world, based off Victor Hugo's timeless novel, and 1998's mediocre non-musical adaption not withstanding has never had a proper film interpretation.

That's going to change now, with none other than King's Speech director Tom Hooper at the helm, and an all-star cast including Hugh Jackman (fresh from his smash hit show on Broadway), Russel Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne and Helena Bonham Carter.

Sweeney Todd showed us that musicals can still be taken seriously by the Academy if done well, and this production has more than enough pedigree to make that happen.

Release Date: December 7th 2012

8. Prometheus

Ridley Scott is back and so is the Alien franchise (kinda, sorta, not really), although not in name. This is technically a loose prequel to Alien, however it is intended to be taken as a standalone story, almost entirely unconnected to the Alien movies.

The plot details are a bit thin at the moment, but Prometheus stars Noomi Rapace, the up and coming Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, and Charlize Theron, who between them have tallied a number of great movies and numerous awards.

Some pretty top talent involved then, with creative control in the hands of one of the directors who pretty much invented modern sci-fi. Expect this to be pretty big when the summer blockbuster season comes around.

Release Date: June 8th 2012

7. World War Z

After a long bidding war and production issues going back over five years, Brad Pitt's zombie baby is ready to make an appearance.

Mind you this is no ordinary zombie movie. World War Z is based on a best selling novel, directed by Oscar winner Marc Forster and starring Pitt himself, with a cast that includes Matthew Fox and Bryan Cranston.

It may not be the next 28 Days Later, or up for awards in 2013, but all signs point to this being one heck of a ride, with some pundits speculating that this film could do for zombie movies what Blade Runner did for sci-fi.

Billed as a trilogy grounded in the realistic gun-metal style of the Bourne series tethered to the unsettling end-times vibe of the Walking Dead, keep an eye on it.

Release Date: December 21st 2012

6. Skyfall

James Bond returns for our next entry, hoping to atone for the misstep that was Quantum of Solace. Skyfall happily breaks away from the story arc of the last two entries in the series for a bit of original storytelling, which sees Bond fighting for the very survival of MI6 and in particular Judi Dench's maternal "M".

Daniel Craig makes his third and allegedly final appearance as James Bond alongside a cast that includes Oscar winner Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes.

But the real news here is that legendary director Sam Mendes is directing. Those of you who don't remember Mr. Mendes from his time as artistic director of the Donmar theatre will certainly remember his Academy Award winning work with American Beauty and Road to Perdition, as well as his other films Jarhead and Revolutionary Road.

Here's hoping that this one will be a bit more Casino Royale, and a bit less Quantum of Solace. For now though there is plenty of reason to be excited.

Release Date: October 26th 2012

5. Gravity

Another highly mysterious project about which very little is known. What we do know is that Gravity is a thriller about astronauts who get stranded on the International Space Station after some kind of disaster, and that it will star this year's current favourite to win the Oscar George Clooney as well as previous Oscar winner Sandra Bullock.

The other big piece of info is that this film will be directed and written by Alfonso Cuarón, best known for his Oscar nominated work on the brilliant Children of Men. I'll be honest, the only reason this film is so high on this list is because that was such an excellent movie.

Little additional info has been made available, but the insider buzz on this one is quite positive, certainly one to keep an eye on.

Release Date: November 21st 2012

4. The Dark Knight Rises

What more can be said about Chris Nolan's Batman films that haven't already been said? Dark Knight Rises marks the end to this trilogy and the end of an era.

Of course the likes of Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine will return, and this time they are joined by Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, and Marion Cotillard. That's an extremely well stocked cast.

It remains to be seen if this can match the runaway success of its predecessor the Dark Knight, but either way the level of talent involved is undeniable, and with Chris Nolan at the helm anything is possible. This trilogy looks set to go out with a bang.

Release Date: July 20th 2012

3. Django Unchained

The unmissable Quentin Tarantino returns with his next film following the success of Inglourious Basterds. As with most of his films, details are being kept tightly under wraps, but it's safe to say we can expect the usual mix of violence, great acting and sharp dialogue.

A typically all-star cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who appears to be doing a Ryan Gosling and appearing in everything this year), Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Kurt Russel, Jamie Foxx, and interestingly Sacha Baron Cohen. It's a fantastic cast, featuring a lot of old Tarantino favourites and an abundance of award winning talent.

Not much is known about the plot except that it's about slavery, set during civil war times in the American south. Tarantino himself describes it as a spaghetti western set in the south, or as he calls it a "southern".

Release Date: November 20th 2012

2. Lincoln

This one is actually pretty difficult to talk about without molten Oscar gold dripping out of your mouth. Steven Spielberg directs this biopic of Abraham Lincoln, one of America's greatest historical figures, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, who has allegedly been in character as Lincoln since last summer.

Between the two of them they have more than a dozen Oscars and they are backed by an impressive ensemble which includes Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (seriously, he's everywhere!).

I don't have to see a single frame of footage to know that this film is going to be in the running for awards this time next year. It's hard to believe that it took this long to make a big budget film about our 16th President, but if any film maker is up to the task it is Spielberg, despite his disappointing 2011.

Release Date: TBA Q4 2012

1. Cloud Atlas

The most intriguing entry on this list is the long mooted film adaption of David Mitchell's challenging and complex best selling novel. A profound telling of six interlocking story arcs that span generations and geography, it sounds like the sort of subject matter that can't possibly be adapted for the mainstream.

Enter the Wachowski Brothers. Best known for making high school philosophy into a mainstream blockbuster with the Matrix, revolutionising the action genre in the process; if anyone can turn Cloud Atlas into something presentable it's them.

Add to that a great looking cast featuring Tom Hanks, Hugh Grant, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent and Hugo Weaving, and you've got yourself the makings of something a little bit special. Let's just hope this doesn't go all Matrix Revolutions on us.

Release Date: October 2012

This is just the cream of the crop, but an honorable mention should go out to The Avengers, which forms the culmination of the recent deluge of Marvel franchise films, and Men In Black III, which will probably be absolutely awful, but still deserves a watch through merit of the original film. Meanwhile on a more serious note we have The Master, a controversial commentary of all things on Scientology starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, which has not been included on this list because it may not even come out in 2012.

Tune in next week for the best upcoming music of 2012!

"The Artist" Film Review

2012-01-08T00:00:00.000Z

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius
Written by Michel Hazanavicius
Produced by Thomas Langmann
Starring Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman
Running time 100 minutes

So maybe this hasn't been the most exciting year for cinema in recent memory. Maybe there's no King's Speech or Avatar, but when February rolls around the Academy will still have plenty of traditional Oscar fare to contend with like War Horse, the Descendants and the Help.

Yet it isn't any of these that is currently considered the frontrunner for the most coveted of film awards, that honor belongs to a french silent movie shot in black and white, starring and directed by complete unknowns. It might just be one of the strangest and most unexpected awards campaigns of all time, but the Artist has captured the zeitgeist of critics and movie patrons the world over, and heads into 2012 as favorite for the big finish.

Naturally I was curious as to how such a thing could be possible, and made sure to book tickets for opening night, which just happened to be my birthday. I'm pleased to say that I can now understand why such an oddball of a movie has elicited so positive a reaction, this film easily surpassed my expectations.

First of all: yes this film is (almost entirely) silent, with scenes backed by a continuous score, rarely any diegetic sound, and dialogue displayed sparingly with intertitles. The Artist is a love story for sure, but the real meat of the plot lies with the tormented silent movie star whose dumb pride and stubborn ways render him unable to cope with the changing times in Hollywood. The Artist is a tender homage to the early days of cinema, and particularly the period of transition between silent movies and "talkies", but any fear that this aesthetic is merely some self-indulgent gimmick is quashed within the first few minutes.

As hard as it may be to believe, I was glued to the screen for the entire film, absorbed into the moment in a way that few recent films have managed. The Artist is uproariously funny, perfectly acted (not least of all by a scene-stealing terrier), at times heartrending, and always sublimely stylish to look at.

It turns out there is an art to conveying story and emotion using the minimum dialogue. While we like to think of such a style as some archaic relic from the silent era they still form some of cinema's most eloquent and affecting moments, from 2001 to Cast Away to Wall-E. There's a surprising amount that can be said without words. The Artist uses that effect better than any of these films to the extent that, far from a gimmick, this heavily stylised tone actually adds to the content of the film. It also doesn't hurt that the score which accompanies almost every second of the film is so excellent.

So is it really a contender for best picture in February? Most definitely. The Artist is one of those films which grows even fonder in memory; certain scenes are so brilliantly clever and well executed that they border on cinematic perfection. The spellbinding and utterly committed best-actor-at-Cannes-winning performance of Jean Dujardin is also almost certain to earn a nomination, though halting the Clooney buzz that seems to be building will be a tall order, no matter how deserving.

Yet at the same time the Artist is a film that in hindsight might look strangely lightweight next to other winners of the coveted best picture. This is not a "deep" movie, it doesn't tell any groundbreaking story that hasn't been done before, and on the grand scheme of things it doesn't have anything pivotal to say. The Artist is simply an exceptionally well made encapsulation of Hollywood and everything that people love about movies. It captures the devoted torment and the unbridled joy of an artform, and it does so in a way that is simply absorbing for the moviegoers.

Skeptical? I was too, but give this a go and the irresistible charm will suck you in and win you over.

Loves:
Extraordinarily clever filmmaking
Tour de force performances
Daring and ultimately vindicated stylism

Hates:
That skeptical patrons may not give this a shot

The Debbie Awards 2011

2011-12-31T18:22:00.002Z

Here we are again for the traditional end of year awards, where our esteemed panel of judges (ie me) lay down the ultimate verdict on the year gone by for everything, and we do mean "everything". 20 categories, 20 hard fought and well earned trophies.

It's been a year of much excitement and transition, of folk-rock revival and Ryan Gosling, and whether you find yourself overwhelmed by it all, or simply haven't been paying attention, you can't miss our final and definitive look back at all things 2011.

So happy holidays you magnificent bastards, and without further ado here are the:

2011 Debbie Awards

Cinema & TV

1. The Debbie for TV Show of the Year
Winner: Curb Your Enthusiasm
Runner Up: Dexter

Curb Your Enthusiasm , the brainchild of comedy legend Larry David, is quite simply the funniest thing on TV right now, and this latest season might just contain some of its finest moments. It's all the more impressive when you consider that between this and Seinfeld, David has been writing at the forefront of comedy for more than 20 years, his is a rare kind of genius.

Dexter comes in second, with the series still defying all expectations in keeping the premise improbably watchable as the seasons advance. The series may have peaked, there may be only a year or two left waiting in the wings, but for now this still remains one of the best shows currently on TV.

2. The Debbie for New TV Show of the Year
Winner: American Horror Story
Runner Up: Falling Skies

It's safe to say that many eyebrows were raised when the creators of mega-sensation Glee said they wanted to move into horror for their new TV series American Horror Story, especially for people like myself who hate Glee. The result however is far better than anyone could have expected, proving that some people simply have a knack for making compelling television regardless of genre or style.

Also worthy of note is new Spielberg produced alien invasion series Falling Skies, the spearhead of TNT's new lineup, which got off to a very promising start this fall.

3. The Debbie for Film of the Year
Winner: Moneyball
Runner Up: Source Code

While it may be a premature statement with so many of the films tipped for next year's Oscars still to be released, the Brad Pitt starring Moneyball goes down as the best of 2011 in my books. For the second year running, an Aaron Sorkin scripted film takes the prize, this time adapting the best selling true story of a manager who turns a tiny baseball team into record setters through the magic of statistics.

Duncan Jones (who no longer has to be known as Zowie Bowie now that he has escaped his father's shadow) follows up his critically acclaimed debut Moon with the bigger budget Source Code . The result speaks for itself and provides another hint of things to come from one of the most promising directors in cinema.

Music & Theatre

4. The Debbie for Theatrical Production of the Year
Winner: Frankenstein
Runner Up: Anna Christie

For the second year running, we snub the Donmar for the coveted Theatre Debbie. Michael Grandage must be phoning it in with his final year in charge. That being said, the winning production is something quite spectacular indeed: Danny Boyle's stunning interpretation of the classic Frankenstein starring a superb cast of Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, and the music of Underworld. Truly it was the kind of theatrical blockbuster that comes along only so rarely, and one that will live long in the memory.

The Donmar's Anna Christie takes the silver medal with Jude Law proving his stage acting chops with a role cast completely against type, and all the better for it.

5. The Debbie for Album of the Year
Winner: Hurry Up We're Dreaming - M83
Runner Up: Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes

Some Debbies are easy to award, but in this case there has been much deliberation and disagreement over which of two great 2011 albums should take home the gold. Ultimately we went with the more creatively adventurous effort from M83 and its rich, ambitious soundscape. Dreamy, nostalgic and quite remarkable, Hurry Up We're Dreaming is a worthy winner.

Fleet Foxes take the runner up price, but make no mistake they would have been a worthy winner in another year. Helplessness Blues improves upon their successful debut in every way, refining the wistful folk-revival sound and adding a lyrical narrative richness that was often previously lacking.

6. The Debbie for Debut Album of the Year
Winner: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

It's not been an especially groundbreaking year for debut acts, but there are a couple which come to mind when considering this most coveted of Debbies. This year the winner is Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, the latter and greater of this year's two post-Oasis solo albums. Noel is on song here on his own for the first time, staking his claim as a standalone artist in his own right.

7. The Debbie for Song of the Year
Winner: Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
Runner Up: Wait - M83

In a reversal of fortunes from the best album Debbie, it is Fleet Foxes who take the top prize for song of the year with their lead single Helplessness Blues. Building on the smooth harmony-laden melody of a White Winter Hymnal, Helplessness Blues forms the crux of the new album with its driven angst and impetus.

Meanwhile the sumptuous Wait from M83's album takes second place with its beautiful, yet understated melancholy.

Videogames & Technology

8. The Debbie for Greatest Technological Innovation of the Year
Winner: Kepler Spacecraft

While technically speaking Kepler launched in 2009, 2011 was a big big year for the project, and a year of many firsts for space exploration. 2011 saw the first Earth-size extra-solar planets discovered as well as the first extra-solar planets discovered within the so-called "goldilocks zone"; there has been much talk of the death of the space program, but in many ways now more so than ever before is an exciting time in this field.

9. The Debbie for Lamest Technological Innovation of the Year
Winner: Kinect

At some point the Microsoft bigwigs gathered in a smoke-filled and i'd like to think poorly lit room and decided that the best way to copy Nintendo's motion control idea was Kinect, a device which involves controlling games by flapping about like an idiot with absolutely zero physical feedback. Needless to say it has not exactly taken off, nor has Microsoft's grand vision of a house controlled entirely by waving your hands at Kinect.

10. The Debbie for Videogame of the Year
Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Runners up: Portal 2, LA Noire

The winner of this year's Debbie for best video game may raise some eyebrows for its lack of review on this website, but then I'm a busy man, so deal with it. The fact that it's winning game of the year against some pretty formidable competition should say all that needs to be said; Skyward Sword sees the most radical shift in gameplay arguably in the series' history while managing to stay faithful to the elements which make Zelda one of the world's most critically acclaimed franchises.

In a year full of tough competitors for the top prize, the choice of runners up was equally difficult, but ultimately second place is being shared by Portal 2, the more ambitious sequel to one of the greatest games of the past 10 years, and LA Noire, Rockstar's technologically innovative homage to the 1940s.

Sports

11. The Debbie for Footballer of the Year
Winner: Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi, retains his trophy, being that he is frankly not in the same category as the rest of us mere mortals when it comes to footballing ability. For this reason I have decided that picking a runner up would bely the gulf in class between him and the rest. Also I didn't even bother changing this blurb or picture from last year's awards.

12. The Debbie for Sports App of the Year
Winner: iFooty

It's been a big year for iFooty with the launch of video content and other new features, one which has seen the app attract even greater media attention, including a write up in prestigious football magazine FourFourTwo.

Social

13. The Debbie for Party of the Year
Winner: Halloween Pub Crawl

Maybe I'm just a sucker for Halloween, but year after year they tend to produce the best nights. This year's pub crawl through the seedy depths of Camden Town set the scene perfectly.

14. The Debbie for Restaurant of the Year
Winner: The Oxo Tower
Runner Up: O Ya

This year belongs to the Harvey Nichols brasserie in the Oxo Tower, consistently one of the best restaurants in London with its superb changing menu and newly redone bar. With unrivalled panoramic views across the Thames this is truly a restaurant for special occasions.

Content to hold the runner up position again is O Ya of Boston, one of the best restaurants in the world, so good as to make reference to it as a "sushi place" seem almost ludicrous.

15. The Debbie for Nightclub of the Year
Winner: Piccadilly institute

If there's one thing I am a sucker for it's creative drinks and themes. Piccadilly has this going for it in spades with several uniquely themed rooms and drinks to match including a science room containing the steaming foamy beakers pictured above, and a Moulin Rouge styled room where drinks are served in a top hat with sparklers.

16. The Debbie for Best Brother
Winner: Jeremy Debate

You're welcome bro.

17. The Debbie for Douchebag of the Year
Winner: 99.9% of all London bike riders

Bikes, the scourge of London drivers and pedestrians, and with the new influx of "Boris bikes" (actually a brilliant idea, though we stole it from the French) there are a whole lot more of them all of a sudden. Don't get me wrong, bikes are a great thing, the trouble is 99.9% of people in London ride them like an idiot. So to those of you in the 0.1% I raise a glass in gratitude, to the rest, a middle finger.

Travel & Literature

18. The Debbie for Book of the Year
Winner: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

Not exactly a new book, but read for the first time this year and unique to say the least. Don't just catch the films, make sure you read the books as well.

19. The Debbie for Wine of the Year
Winner: Castello di Fonterutoli 2004
Runners Up: Cerviolo 2001

Castello di Fonterutoli 2004 is, for my money, the best vintage of the best wine from one of the best vineyards. Fonterutoli has become one of the biggest names in wine, but if you want to do it right, try to find one of these bottles, which are understandably becoming scarce.

Going for something a bit on the heavier side, Cerviolo 2001, takes the silver medal this year having tracked down the last remaining bottle at the San Fabiano vineyard. Quite the wine.

20. The Debbie for Champagne of the Year
Winner: Champagne Mailly L'Air Blanc

Champagne Mailly's latest Grand Cru continues the "four elements" theme, this year bringing air to the table, and it might just be their best yet. This delicious 2005 vintage is rich, fruity and irresistibly smooth.

Well there you have it, another great year, and here's to the next one being even better!

Review Round-up: "Drive", "Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds", "Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay"

2011-12-12T00:00:00.002Z

As you have probably noticed, I haven't had a lot of time (read: any time) to write new articles lately. However, now that the holidays are upon us I intend to get started again. A few big articles coming up, but before then I'm going to get a few essentials out of the way, with a round-up of all the recent reviews I haven't been posting.

"Drive" Film Review
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Written by Hossein Amini, James Sallis (novel)
Produced by by Michel Litvak, John Palermo, Marc Platt, Adam Siegel
Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston
Running time 100 minutes

On paper, Drive is a film that ticks all the boxes. In Ryan Gosling, they have one of the hot actors of the moment, and with the Danish Nicolas Winding Refn they have a hotly tipped director whose last big western release was the critically acclaimed Bronson. Critical reaction has been strong and indeed Drive has been doing the rounds in many a top ten film list for the year, but this is not a film that will live long in the memory.

The plot is your standard heist-gone-wrong, with Gosling's unnamed stunt/race/getaway driver getting caught up in the illegal shenanigans of Irene's (Carey Mulligan) jailbird husband. This story may not be particularly remarkable or compelling, but the performances bring it to life with Gosling showing again why he is held in such increasingly high regard. More impressive are the outstanding supporting roles played by fellow up and comer Carey Mulligan, multi Emmy award winner Bryan Cranston, and the two mobsters played by the superb Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman.

However, what most stands out about Drive is undoubtedly the bold style of film making, with events being told through heavily stylised noir and some admittedly captivating cinematography and production. Sadly pretty visuals can only go so far, and this focus on style over substance simultaneously hurts the film more than anything else. The repeated reliance on music-backed montages and segments often makes portions of the films feel like a long music video, and with little meat to fall back on the end product feels superficial in the extreme.

This perception is not helped by actual shoe-horning of other films' scores into this film. On first viewing I noted the 28 Days Later score used repeatedly, and one extra long sequence set to Trent Reznor's Academy Award nominated score for the Social Network. For such polished production, this feels incredibly tacky, and quite jarring when you're familiar with the score in its original use.

In the end Drive is a flashy, but at times fairly grating crime noir film that nevertheless deserves notability in a year so far bereft of classics.

"Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay" Album Review
Genre Alternative Rock

A new Coldplay album is always going to be pretty big news and pretty big business, sadly by the point it feels like the band is just phoning it in. I am reminded of the claim that Chris Martin made six years ago that he was on the verge of retiring, not wishing to drag his career, and yet here we are still milking that Coldplay cow.

Don't get me wrong I love classic Coldplay as much as anyone, but this time around the memorable songs are few and far between, with just the dance-riff based Every Teardrop is a Waterfall pushing the band into new and exciting territory and only Don't Let it Break Your Heart doing justice to the classic stadium busting Coldplay sound. Credit where it is due, these are very fine songs indeed, but they are the diamonds in the rough rather than highlights.

Mylo Xyloto has been billed by the band as a move into more "poppy" music. Strangely though I have yet to find a single person who was of the opinion that Coldplay's biggest problem was that they were not "poppy" enough. Nevertheless it is unfortunate that their interpretation of "poppy" seems to mean bland rehashes of their old music. Even less forgivable is the apparent shallowness of the album as a whole, devoid of any coherent theme or structure that one might have expected from their earlier albums.

Coldplay has never been everyone's suit, but even for long time fans Mylo Xyloto is a disappointment. Too early to say that the band's best days are behind them? Either way, this one is just Coldplay by the numbers.

"Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds" Album Review
Genre Alternative Rock/Britpop

Many are still feeling the bitter fallout from the split of britpop band Oasis, but little by little those wounds are beginning to heal. The elder Gallagher Liam returned to the limelight earlier this year with his solid solo project Beady Eye. Now it is the turn of the younger and arguably more musically gifted brother Noel.

Noel is the man behind some of Oasis's finest hours like Don't Look Back in Anger, often described as the more creative force within Oasis. So it is with great interest that we finally get a look at what he can do on his own, and finally determine once and for all which Gallagher is best.

Happily I can report that this album is not only a triumph, but also the best collection of Gallagher written songs since the early days of Oasis. Embracing his new central role, Noel's fingerprints are all over this album; from full blooded sing-along anthems to grittier rock and roll songs, the self-titled album captures all the best elements of Oasis and imbues them with a new charm and panache rarely seen in the band's back catalogue.

The album maintains a refreshingly high quality throughout, with several excellent songs and a handful of strong supporting songs. The soundscape is richer, the melodies more grown up and the range broader, with standout tracks like If I Had a Gun, Soldier Boys and Jesus Freaks, and A Simple Game of Genius.

Noel's solo career is off to an excellent start. You should buy this.

"The Tree of Life" Film Review

2011-11-03T00:00:00.006Z

Directed by Terrence Malick
Written by Terrence Malick
Produced by by Dede Gardner, et al.
Starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain
Running time 139 minutes

The enigmatic director stormed this year's Cannes Film Festival with his ambitious magnum opus, but does it deserve its success or is it a sprawling mess?

How to describe what the Tree of Life is all about? The hint is right in the title; it's about life and all existence, from the macroscopic to the very personal level. This film spans from the dawn of time to the end of the universe. We see the big bang and the dinosaurs, and finish with judgement day and the end of the Earth. So how can this film be anything other than an unfocused, pretentious flop? Well it's unlike anything you've seen before, that's for sure.

The central plot tells the story of Jack O'Brien (Sean Penn), jumping between his troubled childhood in 1950s suburbia at the hands of his overbearing father (Brad Pitt) and his aimless adult life where he continues to struggle with the memory of his tragically deceased brother. At it's heart this is a story about love, loss and the grieving process, the rationalisation of life and death in a greater context. The all consuming sorrow of a single lost life and the weight of a man's entire 50 year experience is paled into insignificance against the birth and destruction of the universe, and the scale of all time.

What makes this film special is the way it manages to cover such cosmic distances and contrast issues of such profundity with those on the personal level without collapsing under its own weight, something which is accomplished by its quite unique storytelling methods.

The lack of spoken dialogue in this film is striking. Most scenes pass outside the diegesis, narrated instead by evocative music as years of memory and story flow in minutes. Partnered with stunning cinematography and visual imagery, this is a story told mostly through sensation and mood rather than words, unfolding implicitly rather than through explicit dialogue or exposition. An apt analogy of the comparison between the Tree of Life and other films would be that of classical music to the pop music of today: telling a story without vocals, but still lyrical.

The film is a beautiful spectacle then, a statement which not many will disagree with. This is definitely not a film where it would be appropriate to spend a lot of time critiquing the writing or the acting as so little prominence is given to these elements of the film. On the other hand, this is certainly not a film for people who are used to being dictated a story when they go to the cinema, as opposed to inference.

What many will no doubt find objectionable are the overdone religious overtones, particularly in the last season and the conclusion of Jack's story. My preferred interpretation was to view this as merely the character's chosen method of internal rationalisation of his situation, rather than some attempt by the film maker to press his ideology upon us. However I can see why it would bother others.

What does, however, trouble me is the unsatisfying dramatic nature of this resolution, and indeed much of the narrative structure. The film essentially revolves around this one grand notion to which I have alluded, and fails to really add much over the course of two and a half hours. A great many scenes feel overcooked to the point of self indulgence, or simply unnecessary, and often I had the impression that what I was watching served more as an exercise in the technical aspects of film making than an attempt at really poignant storytelling.

This is a film that will inevitably polarize audiences, with some driven off by the opaque, demanding nature of the film, and others drawn to its artistic splendour. It may end up being a film that will be remembered more for its technical excellence and experimental cinematography than for any deeper meaning, but in this humble reviewer's view there are few scenes in cinema which are as touchingly beautiful and relatable as some of the childhood montages set to the backing of Bedřich Smetana. Malick is to be applauded for his vision and his ambition, but is perhaps a little too self indulgent for this film to really achieve the kind of status it seeks.

Loves:
Stunning cinematography
Evocative music

Hates:
Overdone and Preachy
Difficult to get into

"FIFA 12" Videogame Review

2011-10-22T00:00:00.000+01:00

Developed by EA Canada
Published by Electronic Arts
Genre Sports
Platform Xbox 360, PS3, PC, OSX, Wii

After a few years of doing this, the annual FIFA updates inevitably seem to start blending together. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it allows me to half-ass my reviews and get back to more important things. However, this year EA Sports have decided to delight millions of fans, and mildly inconvenience me, by bringing about the biggest revolution that FIFA games have seen in a generation.

I speak, of course, of tactical defending. It's no secret that defending has always been the weakest area in FIFA; the timing is imprecise, the AI is terrible, and close friendships have ended over arguing who has to sit back and defend. But this year's update looks to change all that.

Positioning is now the key element to defending in this game, and much of the process involves applying pressure to defenders and then making the correctly timed tackle, process which seems much smoother this year than it has in the past. This new mechanic is buoyed by the all new physical collision engine which aims to add yet further realism to the art of defending. When it works, it works very well, and yet I can't help but feel as though EA are barking up the wrong tree.

You see, it doesn't work all the time. Even aside from the steep learning curve, the fact remains that by far the biggest issue with defending in the past has been the dreadful AI, and this has been the case for a number of years. So for their big defensive revolution to leave this aspect completely untouched is bizarre to say the least, and if anything the more cerebral defending in this game only serves to highlight these inadequacies.

As for the shiny new physics engine, don't get me started. People laughed at me for being skeptical when it was first announced, but anyone who has played FIFA and seen the general patchiness of EA Sports' recent attempts at animation and "realism" should have seen this coming, or this. You see, EA Sports has a habit for trying to be far too clever and overdoing it, which is why they took the concept of referees getting decisions occasionally wrong out of the game. The sad thing is that these comedy issues are not the rare glitch, they are incredibly common, I would be surprised if you can get through more than one or two matches without seeing a few slapstick moments like this.

However, it is a valiant, if misguided attempt at fixing the defensive side of the game, and aside from these issues, the gameplay is pretty damn good. In almost every other way the football on offer here has been honed and improved from last year's iteration and the attacking play feels incredibly satisfying and versatile. In the old days it would often be the case that all goals would end up being scored in the same way, but now it really is a more varied affair, and passing the ball through the defense, putting crosses in, shooting from range are all perfectly viable solutions.

The biggest issue with the game for me is more a case of design. Once upon a time there was a game called FIFA 98, which incredibly included all the domestic football content, the whole world cup from qualification to final, and a series of scenarios or "challenges" which could be played through to keep things from getting stale. Since then, however, it seems that the actual content of the game decreases more and more every year.

In FIFA 12, the challenges from previous iterations are gone, replaced with a periodic online challenge which can be played if and when the developers come up with one, so on the day of purchase there was only one challenge I could play, as opposed to literally dozens that came with the old FIFA.

Of greater concern, however, is the new career mode. EA Sports seems to have bizarrely decided that it would be best to combine the regular career and the be-a-pro mode into one single feature. The effect of this is that be-a-pro career mode has essentially been removed from the game. In FIFA 11 this gameplay mode would start you off as a youngster in the reserves, and then let you play your way into the first team and even the national side. Well in this year's edition none of that is true, there is no 'narrative' so to speak, you just start in the senior team and there is no career progression and no international call ups. Basically, the be-a-pro career mode is now exactly the same as the regular mode, except you control one player instead of an entire team. A big step backwards then.

So we find ourselves in a familiar position here. FIFA is undoubtedly the strongest football game on the market right now, but it is still so riddled with gaping flaws and astonishingly amateurish design choices that one really wishes Pro-Evo would step up their game a bit to apply greater pressure on EA.

Loves:
Defending is... slightly better
Attacking side of the game still a delight
Looks beautiful

Hates:
Overcooked physics engine (but funny)
Dire lack of be-a-pro gameplay features

"Tinker Tailor Solider Spy" Film Review

2011-10-08T00:00:00.010+01:00

Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Written by Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan, John le Carré (novel)
Produced by by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo
Starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch
Running time 127 minutes

An all star cast and crew team up in an attempt to adapt le Carré's classic novel to the cinema.

Skepticism was rife when a cinematic adaption of Tinker Tailor was announced. After all, the novel is a celebrated and layered tale of espionage, which up til now has only been successfully adapted into the BBC's seminal seven part miniseries. Fitting the entire piece into a two hour film was always going to be a tall order.

For their part, an impressive array of talent has been assembled for the project. Director Tomas Alfredson is one of the big up and comers in the cinema world following the critical acclaim lavished upon Let the Right One In, while the cast features such luminaries as Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, John Hurt and Mark Strong. It all makes for one of the more impressive ensembles in recent years, with a good mix between experienced old hands and hotly tipped newcomers.

It is no small praise then that this crew damn near succeeds in their efforts. The end result is an entertaining and cerebral two hours, one which appears almost flawless from a technical standpoint. Alfredson more than lives up to his billing, crafting a visually striking and generally well articulated film of some style. A great deal of credit must go to both him and the scriptwriters who have done about as good a job as can reasonably be expected in fitting the story into such a short narrative running time. Tinker Tailor is a satisfying and complex story regardless of format, and fans of the genre will find much to enjoy here.

Additional kudos must go to the actors involved. It is inevitable that they will be unfairly compared with those that have portrayed these characters in the past, notably the late Sir Alec Guinness, but they do themselves a great service, standing tall alongside their esteemed forbears.

Gary Oldman delivers one of the strongest performances of his career, a fine-etched tableau of a world weary being sleeping under well trained exterior. Familiar faces like Colin Firth and John Hurt also bring their typical level of quality to proceedings, but special note should be afforded to relative new boys Tom Hardy (who viewers will recognise from Inception) and Benedict Cumberbatch (who will be familiar to fans of the recent BBC adaption of Sherlock Holmes, or to any regular theatre patrons in London), both of whom have seen their stars rise considerably in the last few years and will see it take off still further here.

Yet despite this, Tinker Tailor still falls short of the standard set by its other iterations. While this may be a highly entertaining and well made spy thriller, it consistently falls flat when addressing some of the meatier contexts of the original plot, and at key moments. A perfect example is the final climactic scene, which sadly finds itself lacking in any real suspense or sense of danger. The big reveal of the double agent traitor thus feels disappointingly indifferent; what was supposed to be a wrenching and deep conflict of friendship and betrayal ends up with a complete lack of emotional impact.

So what went wrong? Ultimately it seems inarguable that two hours is just not long enough to fully appreciate the details of this story. The ending lacks tension because the stakes have not been well established, and the pacing inconsistent. The character drama lacks impact because the characters have not been fleshed out with any substance, and their relationships have not been explored in any real sense. Colin Firth in particular, for what is a pretty central role, has fewer lines than I can count on my fingers up until the final scene, and as far as I can remember doesn't share any lines whatsoever with Mark Strong's character, which is intended to be one of the deeper and more meaningful relationships in this story. These characters, simply, do not have anywhere near enough time to develop sufficiently.

This movie feels like an abridged version of Tinker Tailor, a bare-bones outline of events, offering newcomers to the story only a touch more emotional depth than a wikipedia plot summary. However, it would be foolish to only criticise this film for what it isn't, rather than appreciate what it is. This is not a novel, nor is it a miniseries, but as a film in its own right it is a fine piece of work, albeit one that finds itself oddly lacking in bite.

Just to be clear, this film makes a valiant attempt at adapting the classic novel. The production and cast are superb, and one can't help but be impressed at how close they have come to condensing everything to film length. In the end there simply is not enough time to devote more than the most superficial of attention to the characters and relationships, which is where the real meat of this tale lies.

Loves:
Quality of film making
Fine acting
Satisfying and intriguing classic plot

Hates:
Too short to flesh out character drama
Sometimes lacking in suspense
Often lacking in dramatic impact

"Hurry Up, We're Dreaming - M83" Album Review

2011-09-21T00:00:00.003+01:00

Genre Dream pop, Electronica
Label Mute
Producers Justin Meldal-Johnsen
Release Date October 18th

Even though Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is the 6th studio album of Anthony Gonzalez's M83, chances are you haven't heard of them before. That may all be about to change.

Gonzalez has spent three years pouring over every detail in this latest album, and it shows. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming stretches out over 2 discs and 22 tracks, a rarity for music these days, and yet each song is so meticulously crafted that every synth note, every chime, every buzz feels as though it has been placed with intent and fastidious care. Even during the album's more adventurous, abstract segments there is method and purpose and the end result is that the album sounds exactly as described on the cover, like some ephemeral, velvety dream.

I do not say this merely with regards to how the music sounds, although "dreamlike" would be an apt description for the ethereal, lush quality of this music, but more to its ability to be emotionally evocative. In equal parts uplifting and deflating, this is an album that can be wistful and reminiscent, thought provoking and introspective. In this regard the album feels very much like a dream.

The easy comparison that will no doubt be a feature of every review is one with 80s music, and indeed much of the album will evoke a distinct John Hughes aesthetic, but to characterise the album as simply an 80s revival would do a disservice to the great variation throughout.

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming runs the full gamut from anthemic pop-heavy tracks like Midnight City and Ok Pal, harkening back to the likes of Simple Plan and OMD, to the more stripped down hushed harmonies of Wait and Splendor.

Throw in a few eclectic tracks like Raconte-Moi Histoire, more a throwback to pre-80s psychedelia, and even full blown orchestrated songs like My Tears Are Becoming a Sea and you have some idea of the kind of range we have here.

It is impressive then that the music is so consistent; one gorgeously crafted melody after another and a good balance of instrumental and vocal elements. Each and every song merits a listen, and at its best moments this is an album that absolutely sparkles. If I have one qualm with the music itself it would be that the vocal style is quite the departure from M83's usual subdued yet quietly affecting lull, with Gonzalez taking on the reins himself and Morgan Kibby absent entirely. It almost sounds more in the vein of Kings of Leon or Arcade Fire; that's not to say that it doesn't work, it's just different. Some people may like it, others won't.

The bigger issue is that there seems to be no real structure to the album as a whole, no logical thread running through the length of either of the two discs, let alone the whole package. If one were to listen to the album on shuffle, I doubt they would notice a difference in the experience compared to progressing from start to finish. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming ultimately feels more like a collection of pretty sounds than a cohesive whole, although indeed one could say that this simply adds to the overall dizzying dream-like quality of the album, for better or for worse.

But despite this, Hurry Up We're Dreaming is an album that is hard to resist. Few other albums have captured the dream-like state to such a degree and portrayed it with such elegance and beauty. The attention to detail belies the talent of a true perfectionist and produces a record that may lack the clear narrative to which we are accustomed, but is undoubtedly the embodiment of this man's vision.

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is M83's most ambitious album to date, and certainly their most impressive. This is a contender for album of the year, it's time to start taking notice.

Must Listen
Wait

Midnight City
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://soundowl.com/track/18ws/m83-midnight-city"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Steve McQueen
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://soundowl.com/track/1lmg/m83-steve-mcqueen"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Splendor
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://soundowl.com/track/1lmd/m83-splendor"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Weekly Round up - 17th September 2011

2011-09-17T00:00:00.003+01:00

song of the week: "Lungs Quicken" by "Lanterns on the Lake"

thing that makes me smile today: Going to my first Chelsea game of the season.
pic of the day
IN:
M83
Daniel Sturridge
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

OUT:
Cut Copy
Nicolas Anelka
Jane Eyre

"Anna Christie" Theatre Review

2011-09-15T00:00:00.000+01:00

Directed by Rob Ashford
Written by Eugene O'Neill
Starring Jude Law, Ruth Wilson, David Hayman
Theatre Donmar Warehouse

Eugene O'Neill has always been the sort of playwright who will appeal to a certain crowd, whilst putting many others off with his overwrought dialogue and turgid stylings. Anna Christie is a play which, at first, sounds like a typical entry from his back-catalogue; there is depressive boozing, jaded old men, rough around the edges sailors, and of course the supposedly innocent girl with a shameful past. But to dismiss this production as such would be to do yourself a grave injustice.

Rob Ashford and the Donmar have crafted a superb production which manages to embrace the depth of drama, whilst highlighting the kernel of optimism and indeed throws lashings of good humour into the mix. This is a finely pitched, intense piece of theatre brimming with energy and deftly sidestepping the potential pitfalls of melodrama, one which will take even the most skeptical of theatre patrons and keep their attentions glued to the stage for the entire two and a half hour production.

Indeed much of this quality can be credited to the strong cast, with particular note for the three main characters. David Hayman gives a superbly nuanced and often heart-rending performance, even if he lays his Swedish accent on a bit too thick. Ruth Wilson is accomplished in every department as the titular main role, balancing the acerbic qualities of her world-weary character with a touching sense of vulnerability, although for some her demeanour and vocal qualities might come of as a bit too textbook for such a role.

But of course much of the focus will rightly go to one Jude Law, who has produced a potentially career-changing performance here, breaking free of his effete typecasting and transforming on stage into a gruff, surly sailor with such fervor and character that it is honestly difficult to believe that this is the same actor. Jude Law far exceeds anything he has ever done before, anyone who is not a fan will be after they see this.

The production is notable from a technical standpoint as well. The entire stage is replaced by a mechanical platform which pivots and emulates the tossing of the sea, while dry ice pours fog in from all angles and water sprays on deck. Such is the obsession with detail of setting that reportedly the front rows of the audience in the early showings of Anna Christie were soaked.

Fans of Eugene O'Neill will love the quality of the drama and the level of detail, while those who would not normally consider themselves fans will nevertheless enjoy the range of this production, a highly enthralling and well pitched production for all comers.

"Super 8" Movie Review

2011-09-11T00:00:00.002+01:00

Directed by J.J. Abrams
Written by J.J. Abrams
Produced by by Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk
Starring Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler
Running time 112 minutes

Geek deity J.J. Abrams returns with most ambitious foray yet into cinema.

Better known for his Television credits, with the likes of Lost, Alias and Fringe to his name, J.J. Abrams has in recent years started to delve into the world of cinema. Beginning with franchise films like Mission Impossible 3 and the recent Star Trek remake, Abrams also saw great critical and commercial success with his first original creation, Cloverfield. Now in Super 8 Abrams teams up with his childhood idol Steven Spielberg to produce a film that is arguably his most mature and polished work to date.

The director's veneration for his producing partner here is apparent throughout, with homage paid repeatedly to Spielberg's classic sci-fi from the 1970's and 1980's. Everything from the setting to the style to the dialogue will evoke memories of Close Encounters of the Third Kind or ET. There are numerous other references of iconic pop culture (eg. Romero, the Twilight Zone, amongst others), but it is certainly a distinct Spielbergian vibe above all else that pervades.

That is not to say that Super 8 is lacking in originality or its own identity. Indeed, Abrams straddles the line between respectful tribute and basic mimicry perfectly, and adds in a few of his own modern touches that make this film distinctly a J.J. Abrams production.

The story itself concerns a group of kids in small-town America (So far so Spielbergian, even the classic character archetypes are all here!) who are in the process of making their own home movie on a Super 8 camera for a school competition, when all of a sudden strange things begin to happen across town. Naturally their childlike curiosity and desire to make a good movie compels them to dig deeper, and thus the plot unfolds.

The narrative that unravels is traditional sci-fi conspiracy stuff, you have aliens and military cover ups all accounted for, and if I were to have any complaint to make about this movie it's that this element of the film feels a bit hackneyed in a 'been-there-done-that' sort of way, and the alien itself was a somewhat uninspiring creation. Not to give too much away, but think more Cloverfield than Close Encounters, a concept which clashes quite strongly with the more simple and down to earth style in which the rest of the film is made (I suppose this would be the Abrams twist on the classic Spielberg formula). Meanwhile the military suits themselves are not fleshed out at all beyond 'look out, bad guys!', which leaves these antagonists lacking the real bite or intrigue that other better movies in the genre have produced.

Fortunately, the quality of the film making here is such that these flaws can be overlooked. The direction and production in general is so spot on and superb that you find yourself caught up in the story even if you don't really buy into it. Ultimately the secret is that none of the sci-fi or alien stuff really matters that much in this film. As strange as it is to say for something which is billed as sci-fi, these elements feel more incidental than central to on-screen events.

The real purpose of this movie lies with the characters, and the magic of film making in general. Super 8 is really a celebration of the passion of film makers, all the way up from the little kid with a cheap handy-cam to the big name Hollywood titans to whom this film so lovingly pays homage, and that desire for storytelling. It succeeds wonderfully.

Go see Super 8. It is a wonderful film, and certainly one of the better I've seen so far this year. Its few nagging flaws or lack of depth do not detract from its many strengths, and to focus upon them inordinately would be to miss the point entirely.

"Loves":
Quality of film making
Loving tributes to classic cinema

Hates:
The "alien" (ok "hate" is too strong a word)

"I'm With You - Red Hot Chili Peppers" Album Review

2011-08-25T00:00:00.003+01:00

Genre Rock
Label Warner Bros.
Producers Rick Rubin

There has been a long hiatus for the Red Hot Chili Peppers between their last album, released in 2006, and this newest release. It's been a time of upheaval for the band, with lead guitarist John Frusciante leaving (again), to be replaced by Josh Klinghoffer. It's a perilous time for a comeback.

The first thing to note is that the band is definitely missing something without Frusciante. You don't lose arguably the best guitarist of a generation without noticing. Indeed the band appears to have lost some of their edge.

Album opener Monarchy of Roses typifies everything that the band has become known for; the duality between the dirtier funk stylings and the more melodic, soaring chorus. It's a hopeful and exciting start to the new era.

Unfortunately the next track Factory of Faith is more representative of this particular album. Awfully repetitive and frankly bland, this track sounds more like a parody of incredibly phoned in, inspiration-less funk.

Indeed much of the album seems to consist either of similar songs like this or more uncharacteristically low-fi rock like Brendan's Death Song and Meet Me at the Corner, the likes of which are perfectly listenable, but again, strangely flavourless for the band.

However there are brighter moments, including the typically radio-friendly lead single The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie, which features the classic RHCP funk/melody combination and one of Flea's classic swaggering bass lines.

Meanwhile, Did I Let You Know becomes one of the surprise highlights of the album with it's sunny demeanour and multi-vocalist chorus, while Happiness Loves Company is a delightfully bouncy throwback to the 1970s. Also worthy of note is the laid back Police Station, this album's answer to Californication.

In the end, I'm With You seems to be more about the band finding it's footing following the recent shake up and time out. The album as a whole is mercifully less sprawling than their last effort, the two-disk Stadium Arcadium, but it feels unfortunately lacking in memorable tracks. Their are some fine songs here to be sure, but they are few and far between, and overall, not of a high enough quality to stack up next to the band's back catalogue.

Must Listen
The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie

Happiness Loves Company

Did I Let You Know

Police Station

The Ultimate Premier League Preview 2011/12

2011-08-16T00:00:00.001+01:00

Did we even have a summer this year? I have had neither the time off, nor the good weather here in London. Nevertheless, I have been informed by my assistant that it is now August, and as such we are approaching the start of the new season of football.

As per usual the Ephemeric is here to run the rule over every team in the Premier League and render a few solid predictions. Read on for the ultimate preview of what awaits us these next nine months.

Premier League 2011/12 in a nutshell:
Champions: Manchester United
Champions League qualifiers: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal
Europa League qualifiers (via final league position): Liverpool, (others depending on cup + fair play)
Relegated: Swansea, Wigan, QPR
Golden Boot winner: Wayne Rooney (Man U)
Golden Glove winner: Petr Cech (Chelsea)
Player to watch: David Silva (Man City)
New signing to watch: Sergio Agüero (Man City)
Young player to watch: Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea)
First manager to get the sack: Steve Kean (Blackburn)
Shock of the season: Arsene Wenger leaves Arsenal

ARSENAL

Nickname: The Gunners
Ground: Emirates Stadium
Capacity: 60,000
Position last season: 4th
Manager: Arsene Wenger

The better part of a decade has now gone by without Arsene Wenger’s men bringing home any silverware. The “club in transition” excuses have long since dried up, and it’s getting to the point where simply shrugging one’s shoulders and pointing toward empty coffers for an explanation will no longer cut the mustard with the Arsenal faithful

That’s where porn-star-moustachioed new owner Stan Kroenke comes in, to give the club a bit more of the financial clout that is so important in this day and age. Arsenal fans have so far been resistant to any such spending (years of self-righteous bitterness toward the League's sugar daddies may be a factor here) but even the hardest of hardcore now seem willing to admit that such action is necessary if the club want to catch up with the top tier teams.

Of course, transfer spending is not the only area where Kroenke can make a difference. The faster the club’s massive stadium debts are paid off, the faster they can realise the income potential of such an asset. With Kroenke’s investment and the Emirates’ stadium income, Arsenal FC stand to be in a very strong financial position in a few years’ time, where the only thing holding them back will be their relatively minuscule commercial revenue. For that to pick up, they’ll have to actually start winning things.

On the personnel front, the club faces a real challenge with the threat of mass exodus of key players including Fabregas and Nasri, with Clichy already out the door. Robin Van Persie is likely to take the arm band in the near future as an increasingly heavy weight is placed upon the Dutchman’s shoulders, Arsenal fans will be hoping that he doesn’t begin to get similar ideas of greener pastures abroad.

Key Signing: Gervinho
Key Man: Robin Van Persie
If they were a car: A Daihatsu Copen, sporty, pretty to look at whilst being very economical, but in reality it's just a lemon.

Verdict: Can still challenge if their more established rivals falter in a big way or suffer catastrophic injuries, but will likely be more concerned about keeping their top 4 position with the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham breathing down their necks.

ASTON VILLA

Nickname: The Villans
Ground: Villa Park
Capacity: 42,593
Last season: 9th
Manager: Alex McLeish

Never quite recovered from the bombshell of Martin O’Neill’s resignation, but the writing had been on the wall for a long time with the unpopular departures of key players to bigger clubs. They face a similar problem once again with the likes of Ashley Young and Stewart Downing already leaving this summer and the threat of further exits down the road.

New manager Alex McLeish is undoubtedly good at what he does, but begins his job amid a fire of controversy following the fracas that has arisen from his switch between the club and bitter arch rivals Birmingham. He has a lot to prove after suffering relegation last season, even more so now with the additional undesired attention and the scepticism of the fans.

On the other side of the transfer market the club have done some good business already this summer. Villa have pulled of something of a coup with the signing of Shay Given, unquestionably one of the best goalkeepers in the league who was only kept out of a strong Manchester City side by the quality of Joe Hart. However Given has his work cut out for him, stepping into the shoes of Brad Friedel. Meanwhile Wigan’s star player Charles N’Zogbia has made a big money switch to the Villans in what could prove to be a shrewd reinforcement for the club.

Key Signing: Shay Given
Key Man: Darren Bent
If they were a car: They would be down at the chop shop, selling off spare parts without a care in the world for whether or not she will ever drive again.

Verdict: If N’Zogbia can supply Bent with a steady stream of chances, Europa League qualification is a strong possibility.

BLACKBURN ROVERS

Nickname: Rovers
Ground: Ewood Park
Capacity: 31,367
Last season: 15th
Manager: Steve Kean

Steve Kean managed to save the club from relegation last season, but the fact remains that they weren't even under threat of going down until Sam Allardyce's shock sacking. Kean has much to prove this season, and the same has to be said for Blackburn's wealthy new owners who have taken a lot of flack for this controversial decision.

A good start to the season will be crucial to calm nerves and ensure the club doesn't get sucked down into another relegation battle. However fans would be wise to start preparing for the worst.

A bright prospect has left the club in Phil Jones, and rumours persist linking Chris Samba with a move away to a bigger club. Radosav Petrović, meanwhile, is an interesting signing of whom much will be expected.

Key Signing: Radosav Petrović
Key Man: Chris Samba (if he stays)
If they were a car: A jeep where the engine has inexplicably been traded for that of an electric scooter.

Verdict: A tough season ahead which could well see the team dragged into another relegation fight.

BOLTON WANDERERS

Nickname: Trotters
Ground: Reebok Stadium
Capacity: 27,879
Last season: 14th
Manager: Owen Coyle

Owen Coyle seems to have stabilised a club that has been in decline ever since the departure of one Sam Allardyce, but it'll be interesting to see how he can take them on from here.

Bringing Daniel Sturridge in on loan last season proved to be a very shrewd move, and the Chelsea youngster's 8 goals in 12 games played a big part in their improved form for the second half of the season. They'll be at a disadvantage then this season without Sturridge, who is set to make a breakthrough at Stamford Bridge.

Coyle has wasted no time in snapping up a few bargains this season, including Nigel Reo-Coker on a free transfer, but he'll desperately need more firepower up front to play off of Kevin Davies if he is to assure a comfortable mid table finish.

Of equal concern will be the persistent rumours linking Gary Cahill with a move away from the Reebok, a loss which would have quite an impact on the club's back line.

Key Signing: Nigel Reo-Coker
Key Man: Kevin Davies
If they were a car: Honda insight. Hardly the most glamorous out there, but dependable, and in the hands of a skilled driver can even challenge the big boys.

Verdict: Consistency is key to prevent club from going backwards.

CHELSEA

Nickname: Blues
Ground: Stamford Bridge
Capacity: 42,449
Last season: 2nd
Manager: André Villas-Boas

Last season was the perfect summary of the consistency problems that plagued the club under the reign of Carlo Ancelotti, from record breaking winning runs to record breaking winless runs, and the unsurprising result was a trophiless year.

The club has pulled off something of a coup in appointing Villas-Boas, the treble winning Porto manager who was being tapped as Pep Guardiola's replacement at Barcelona next year until he was poached by his former employers at Chelsea. Villas-Boas brings a more stylish flair-based approach to football to the club, but only time will tell if he's really ready for such a big step up. Either way, patience will be needed from the fans and the club owners.

There is no doubt that the team is in need of a serious shake up. It is surprising then that there has been so little transfer activity from the Blues this summer. So far only hot prospects Thibault Courtois, Oriol Romeu and Romelu Lukaku have been signed, with Courtois already off on loan for the season, and the others unlikely to play a major role in the first team just yet. Rumours persist of a move for Tottenham's Luka Modric, which would be a major boost to a club that lacks creativity in the midfield, but with such extortionate fees being quoted one must wonder why they don't seem to be considering other targets. Indeed, if the squad remains as it is now, it's hard to see the club having aspirations for anything beyond a top four finish.

On the plus side, youngsters like Daniel Sturridge and Josh McEachran appear ready for a breakthrough season, with the former in particular likely to play a big part in the team's drive for silverware. There is still a good deal of team building required here, Frank Lampard looks to be on his last legs and Didier Drogba is getting on in the years, but the club finally appears to be on the right track, arguably for the first time since the sacking of Mourinho.

Key Signing: So far, the manager.
Key Man: John Terry
If they were a car: A vintage Mercedes; expensive once upon a time, but after years of disuse is now having to subsist on budget replacement parts, currently missing a steering wheel.

Verdict: As always, predicting Chelsea's fortunes is an exercise in futility, but few would predict anything lower than third this season, and a title push an outside chance, but probably only if additional signings are made.

EVERTON

Nickname: Toffees
Ground: Goodison Park
Capacity: 40,170
Last season: 7th
Manager: David Moyes

Another year, and another big challenge for David Moyes who continues to purvey his unique magic levitating act on Everton with no budget. Indeed there are no transfers in so to speak, and nagging rumours that key players Phil Jagielka and Jack Rodwell could be off in the near future. Arguably though, such a loss would in fact be a good thing for Everton, who could then use the proceeds to buy a couple of new players, something that Moyes has always been adept at when presented with the funds.

This, plus stadium and ownership issues, has lent to a feeling of angst surrounding the club in the run up to the season, and one which could put a dampener on things once the action gets underway. There is the impression that the club has stagnated in recent years, and unfortunately for Toffees fans, that doesn't look like changing this season.

Key Signing: None yet
Key Man: Leighton Baines
If they were a car: The Magic School Bus, nobody quite knows how it does what it does, but there you go.

Verdict: Again, will probably be around the same place as they end up every year, barring a miracle or a disaster.

FULHAM

Nickname: Cottagers
Ground: Craven Cottage
Capacity: 26,000
Last season: 8th
Manager: Martin Jol

Mark Hughes appeared to be doing a good job at the club until his humorous self destruction over the summer. The reigns of power now pass over to Martin Jol, another seasoned hand with Premier League experience who will endeavour to take the club to the next level.

No major signings so far, aside from the reunion of the Riise brothers, this season, but then the squad is not such that it needs a major overhall. Fans will be hoping that Bobby Zamora can avoid the injury problems that have followed him, and that the impressive defensive combo of Brede Hangeland, Aaron Hughes and Mark Schwarzer continues in similar form. Most importantly will be the consistency of key performer Clint Dempsey, who seems to have hit his peak in recent years.

Ultimately it’s hard to see how the club can go any further than they have done, finishing a creditable 8th place last season, but similarly I would not expect them to face any real threat of being sucked into a battle for survival.

Key Signing: John Arne Riise
Key Man: Clint Dempsey
If they were a car: The “ghost of Michael Jackson” car... for obvious reasons.

Verdict: A comfortable mid table finish seems likely.

LIVERPOOL

Nickname: Reds
Ground: Anfield
Capacity: 45,362
Last season: 6th
Manager: Kenny Daglish

Liverpool have had a number of false dawns over the years, and following their sublime second half of the season last year, in which new manager Kenny Daglish turned their fortunes on a sixpence and ended up as the form team in the league, there is the feeling that a return to the big time is not far away.

In truth, not many would predict that the club are anywhere near ready to mount a sustained title challenge again, but a return to the Champions League certainly seems like a distinct possibility. Given that last Christmas they found themselves in the bottom half of the table, that’s quite the turnaround.

They have coped well following the loss of Fernando Torres, though perhaps eyebrows will be raised at the club’s decision to blow more than two times the Torres income (£45m) on largely unproven players like Andy Carroll (£35m), Jordan Henderson (£20), Stewart Downing (£20) and Luis Suarez (£23); although in the case of Suarez, the money appears to have been well spent, the jury is still out on the rest.

Following such a massive expenditure, expectations will surely begin to mount on Daglish. It will be upon him to gel the new players quickly, and maintain the form of present Liverpool stalwarts like Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard, the latter of which is in desperate need of a good season after appearing to be on the decline over recent years. If Gerrard is unable to recover his form, a lot of will rest upon new signing Charlie Adam.

Key Signing: Stewart Downing
Key Man: Luis Suárez
If they were a car: Must... resist urge... to make scouser joke.

Verdict: A massive season for the club if they’re serious about returning to the glory days. Contention for a Champions League place is likely, will probably duke it out with Arsenal for 4th.

MANCHESTER CITY

Nickname: Blues
Ground: City of Manchester Stadium
Capacity: 48,000
Last season: 3rd
Manager: Roberto Mancini

No more excuses for nouveau riche club or it’s under pressure manager. Manchester City’s FA Cup triumph last season made it clear for all to see that the heavy investments are starting to pay off, and the next target has to be the Premier League crown.

Nobody doubts the quality of the squad that has been amassed here, at great expense, but real questions remain over how good a team they are together. It’s never a good way to the start the season with your club captain Carlos Tévez doing all he can to force his exit, even going so far as to publically declare that he will never again line up in Manchester blue.

His ostensible replacement Sergio Agüero is unproven at this level, and very inconsistent for both his former club and country, while Mario Balotelli is one of those players who will always make more headlines for his crazy shenanigans than for his footballing prowess, talented though he may be.

In addition Agüero, new signing Gaël Clichy offers perhaps a slight upgrade on Wayne Bridge, and it is widely expected that Samir Nasri will join any day now. If Nasri signs then Manchester City will have arguably one of the strongest clubs in the league, and one of the brightest midfield prospects in the world. However, the priority now has to be less on bringing in more signings and more on helping this current group of stars operate as a unit. The secret to Manchester United’s success has always been the strong dressing room atmosphere, a factor that inevitably pays dividends right at the crunch time of the season when it really counts. Arsenal’s invincibles had it, Chelsea under Mourinho had it, and Manchester City must find this quality if they want to be the best team in the country.

Key Signing: Sergio Agüero
Key Man: David Silva
If they were a car: A souped up Lamborghini from Fast and Furious, the owner constantly adding more flair and shiny things, but seemingly unconcerned with practicality.

Verdict: A big year for the club where many pundits are expecting great things, likely to mount a challenge, but would be a surprise if they managed to achieve the consistency required to actually win the thing.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Nickname: Red Devils
Ground: Old Trafford
Capacity: 76,000
Last season: Champions
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson

Last season Manchester United were easily the best team in the league, but any suggestion that the club intend to sit on their laurels and content themselves with being the best on this side of the Channel can be ignored.

No, this year they face a bigger challenge: unseating Barcelona at the summit of European football. Following last season’s comfortable Champions League final defeat at the Catalan’s hands, Sir Alex has set himself the challenge of building a team that can go one step further in what may indeed prove to be his final project at Old Trafford before retirement.

Not only do they start off the season as the strongest in the league, but they have also been one of the more active in the transfer window, adding the likes of Ashley Young, Phil Jones, De Gea and potentially Wesley Sneijder. Considering the transfer activity of their rivals who begin in a worse position (Chelsea have yet to make a first team signing and Man City have only signed no-names and a Tevez-lite replacement) it's hard to see them having too much trouble in securing a record 20th title. Of the prominent players who were released this season, only the loss of Van der Sar weakens them somewhat from last season, and so a lot will depend on how quickly his replacement can adjust to life at Old Trafford.

Key Signing: Ashley Young
Key Man: Wayne Rooney
If they were a car: The Batmobile. Their super powered enemies usually get a head start, but once Batman gets going it would be unwise to bet against them.

Verdict: Have enough about them to defend their title so long as their new goalkeeper proves to be less Van der Gouw and more Van der Sar.

NEWCASTLE UNITED

Nickname: Magpies
Ground: St. James' Park
Capacity: 52,387
Last season: 12th
Manager: Alan Pardew

Mission accomplished last season in holding a comfortable mid table position and remaining in the top flight. Some may have questioned the dismissal of Chris Hughton, the manager who after all got them promoted and took them into the top half of the Premier League, although in Pardew they have placed themselves in safe hands. Eyebrows may also be raised by the club's transfer policy in selling the likes of Enrique and Carroll, but they have recruited well this summer with the signings of Demba Ba who impressed during the tail end of last season, and former Manchester United hot prospect Gabriel Obertan, who could turn out to be something of a coup for the club.

Survival shouldn't really be an issue this season, but at the same time I don't think anyone should be expecting a Europa League push either. Of greater concern will be the morale of players off the pitch. Considering the recent high profile shenanigans with Joey Barton who almost got free-transferred for criticising the club's management hierarchy, it only seems reasonable to ask questions of the perennially under fire club owner Mike Ashley, and whether his treatment of the senior players bodes ill for their prospects.

Key Signing: Demba Ba
Key Man: Joey Barton
If they were a car: The Prime Minister's car, as the owners of both club and car enjoy a similar level of popularity.

Verdict: Another mid table finish is on the cards.

NORWICH CITY

Nickname: The Canaries
Ground: Carrow Road
Capacity: 27,033
Last season: Promoted from Championship
Manager: Paul Lambert

Back to the big time for the Canaries, for the first time in six years they will compete in the top flight of English football. Manager Lambert has pulled off something really quite remarkable by securing back to back promotions for the club, but he will find that the Premier League is something completely different, and he will do well to ensure survival.

But this is not an impossible task, and indeed his business operations during the summer appear to be quite shrewd, ruthlessly cutting a lot of the lower league slack that remained on the books and bringing in some quite interesting talent, including former Everton striker James Vaughan, and the loan signings of Kyle Naughton (Spurs) and Ritchie De Laet (Man U) among others. The emphasis is certainly on young and hungry players, as opposed to experienced and over the hill, a stark contrast to the team building policy of many newly promoted teams.

A long season lies ahead, but Norwich are certainly not going to be pushovers, and it could well be that the next page of the script has them staying afloat this year.

Key Signing: James Vaughan
Key Man: Grant Holt
If they were a car: A circus clown car. Looks small, not really sure what's inside, but could spring a surprise or two.

Verdict: Staying in the Premier League will be a tough challenge, but if any newly promoted side looks to have a shot it's them.

QUEENS PARK RANGERS

Nickname: The Hoops
Ground: Loftus Road
Capacity: 18,360
Last season: Promoted from Championship
Manager: Neil Warnock

Fans rejoice, Neil Warnock has returned to the Premier League, and now that he is backed by the money of QPR it will be interesting to see what rants he comes up with this time around.

Transfer activity so far seems to be a mix of the good (Jay Bothroyd, DJ Campbell) and the sounds good on paper, but is actually bad (Kieron Dyer), while the club will be buoyed by the fact that much talked about (by his agent presumably) midfielder Adel Taraabt looks set to stay at the club for at least another six months, however the loss of Wayne Routledge, to another newly promoted team no less, is a blow.

This is the club's first season of top flight football in 15 years, since the early days of the Premier League, but their chances for survival appear threatened by a host of off the pitch tensions, created chiefly by their wealthy owners and the ongoing saga of takeover rumours, which has contributed to the present unwillingness to afford the squad the kind of investment that would make a positive season more likely. As it is, this is a team that still looks awfully lower league.

Key Signing: Jay Bothroyd
Key Man: Adel Taraabt
If they were a car: A hatchback entering into an F1 race, with two elderly ladies driving, bickering over control of the wheel.

Verdict: Survival is going to be a very tall ask for the club, despite Warnock's best efforts. Get ready for the press conference fireworks now.

STOKE

Nickname: Potters
Ground: Britannia Stadium
Capacity: 28,384
Last season: 13th
Manager: Tony Pulis

Pulis continues to do almighty work at Stoke, punching above their weight and particularly pulling out the stops against the big teams.

So far the only incoming transfer activity has been Jonathan Woodgate. If he can stay fit, he will be a fine addition to the already formidable Stoke defence, and a threat going forward for set pieces, still the mainstay of Stoke goalscoring. Rumours abound for some additional attacking threat along the lines of a Carlton Cole or a Cameron Jerome, but as of yet no move has materialised. The expectation then should be for more of the same from one of the more consistent teams in the Premier League these days.

The key central defensive duo of Shawcross and Huth seems to grow stronger with each passing game, and the emergence of Asmir Begovic in goal has been something of a triumph for the club now entering its fourth consecutive season of top flight football. If it ain't broke don't fix it, but one has to wonder, how long can Stoke keep playing at this level without trying to evolve the squad and style of play.

Thanks to last year's appearance in the FA Cup final, Stoke will also be involved in European competition this season, adding further challenges to the already congested schedule of a Premier League club. It will be the most telling indication yet of Stoke's durability as a top flight club to see how they cope with the additional pressure.

Key Signing: Jonathan Woodgate
Key Man: Asmir Begovic
If they were a car: A Rory Delap shaped catapult… that's close enough to a car, right?

Verdict: Aiming for status quo in the face of new challenges.

SUNDERLAND

Nickname: Black Cats
Ground: Stadium of Light
Capacity: 48,300
Last season: 10th
Manager: Steve Bruce

Steve Bruce is a good manager and he has crafted a decent club out of the collection of Sunderland misfits he inherited, one that has long since forgotten about ensuring Premier League survival and one that now sets its sights on Europa League qualification. The challenge this season will be to combat the club's habit of inconsistency in order to progress still further.

The sale of Darren Bent was a big loss for the club, but the signing of much hyped striker Connor Wickham offers a great deal of potential, both for a player looking for space to develop, and for a club looking for someone to partner the erratic Asamoah Gyan. Meanwhile decent signings have been made in other positions including the likes of Craig Gardner and Sebastian Larsson.

If this is to be a good year, Sunderland will finish top seven and mount a creditable cup run, on the other end of the hypothetical spectrum, they might finish around 15th. My prediction? Well see below.

Key Signing: Connor Wickham
Key Man: Lee Cattermole
If they were a car: The Smartcar, small, unassuming and attracts derision from many, but surprisingly solid, and quietly gathering momentum… and then they break down for no apparent reason.

Verdict: Push for a Europa League place, but top 10 finish should be the minimum aim.

SWANSEA CITY

Nickname: The Swans
Ground: Liberty Stadium
Capacity: 20,532
Last season: Promoted from Championship
Manager: Brendan Rodgers

Cue the hysteria, we have the first ever Welsh club in the Premier League. Oh, what's that you say? No one gives a toss? Right then moving on…

Ex-Chelsea youth coach Brendan Rodgers is quickly making a name for himself as a manager. Rodgers was quick to poach the cream of the unwanted Chelsea youngster crop with the likes of Fabio Borini and Scott Sinclair lighting up the Championship, and last season his attractive Swansea side were the final team to clinch promotion to the Premier League through the playoff system. Even though Borini is now gone, he has strengthened his side well with the likes of Wayne Routledge and Leroy Lita, while the attacking forces of Nathan Dyer and Luke Moore make perfectly clear the intention to fight for survival playing attractive, attacking football. It's a similar tactic to the one Blackpool employed last season, so best of luck to them.

Whatever happens, this is a team that's likely to be fighting for survival come the end of the season, and while their style of play will win many fans and make them a popular choice for avoiding the drop as with Blackpool last year, the odds are that they too will find the step up to the top flight one too many.

Key Signing: Wayne Routledge
Key Man: Scott Sinclair
If they were a car: Alpha Romeo, aspiring for style and panache, but clearly lower league under the hood.

Verdict: A favourite for relegation despite their ambitious style.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Nickname: Spurs
Ground: White Hart Lane
Capacity: 36,236
Last season: 5th
Manager: Harry Redknapp

Tottenham under Harry Redknapp have far too often turned out to be the "almost but not quite" club. A rare piece of silverware, a first foray into the Champions League after threatening to break through for so many years, but last season saw a step backward for the club. With the level of competition toward the top of the league being what it is now, there are realistically six clubs fighting for the four Champions League qualification places, and arguably three of them fighting for just one place. Tottenham is one of those clubs, and compared to their rivals, they would appear to have the longest shot.

On top of this it is often overlooked that Tottenham have been among the biggest spenders in the league for many years now with very little to show for it, and considering the lack of major changes this summer, it is hard to see this changing. The one big improvement is the recruitment of a consistent, and excellent goalkeeper in Brad Friedel to replace the gaffe prone Gomes. No noteworthy departures as of yet, but rumours persist linking Luka Modric with a move to Stamford Bridge in the near future. Such a loss would clearly have a big impact on the squad, and on player morale for that matter, although the potential transfer fee would easily allow Redknapp to bring in a few replacements.

Make no mistake, Tottenham are certainly in contention for Champions League qualification this season, but it seems unlikely unless both Arsenal and Liverpool have massively underwhelming seasons.

Key Signing: Brad Friedel
Key Man: Luka Modric
If they were a car: Lotus Elise, costs way more than it should, in equal parts frustrating and delightful.

Verdict: Finishing outside the top six would be a bad result for the club, but pushing into that all important top four may be too much to ask.

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Nickname: Baggies
Ground: The Hawthorns
Capacity: 26,500
Last season: 11th
Manager: Roy Hodgson

The dismissal of Roberto Di Matteo came as a surprise considering the fact that the newly promoted club (which he got promoted at the first time of asking) was positioned against all odds in the top half of the Premier League table at the time, however they have replaced him well with Roy Hodgson, a man whose disastrous tenure at Liverpool takes nothing away from his ability as a small-team manager. Hodgson duly did what he does best and ensured survival and even a comfortable mid table finish.

Once upon a time next big thing Scott Carson has been moved on, and another once upon a time next big thing Ben Foster has been brought in as his replacement, a definite improvement as far as we're concerned. Elsewhere, star striker Odemwingie looks set to carry the team's front line again, as no partner has been brought in as of yet. Hodgson looks as though he might even play with just the one up front, having brought in a number of new midfielders, including Shane Long who impressed for Reading in the Championship last season.

Captain Chris Brunt continues to be influential on the right, with Mulumbu sits in front of the back line with his intelligent play and fine passing, while Jerome Thomas completes a solid midfield. This is not a team that's ready to push for the Europa League just yet, but one that is probably good enough to avoid the drop.

Key Signing: Shane Long
Key Man: Peter Odemwingie
If they were a car: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, something delightful about the old codger in charge, who manages to craft something quite special from not much at all.

Verdict: Another finish in the lower half of the table looks likely, probably not quite stuck in the relegation battle.

WIGAN ATHLETIC

Nickname: Latics
Ground: JJB Stadium
Capacity: 25,000
Last season: 16th
Manager: Roberto Martinez

Wigan defied the odds, and an atrocious start to the season, by securing survival on the last day of the season in dramatic fashion. It may take another late miracle to prevail again, as the coming season looks like another long one for the club.

Securing Ali Al-Habsi is a big coup for the club, but much more will be needed to shore up the leakiest defence in the league. Meanwhile the loss of Charles N'Zogbia and the return of Tom Cleverley to Manchester United are both big losses for the team's attacking efforts. As of yet no ready replacements have been signed, which will probably mean that the burden of responsibility rests with Victor Moses and Rodallega.

Given the number of years that this club has survived against the odds, one would think that a turnaround in fortunes is long since due, however the opposite appears more likely and Wigan fans have every reason to worry.

Key Signing: Ali Al-Habsi
Key Man: Hugo Rodallega
If they were a car: A golf, with required pit stops every few miles, its engine on the last legs.

Verdict: Wigan's luck could run out this season.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Nickname: Wolves
Ground: Molineux Stadium
Capacity: 28,525
Last season: 17th
Manager: Mick McCarthy

Wolves face a tall order to remain in the Premier League, once again. However, Mick McCarthy is a good manager and he has done impressive work with Wolves for the last couple of years. He has also invested well. with Steven Fletcher coming in from Burnley, and Birmingham's impressive Roger Johnson coming in to bolster the back line.

But in today's Premier League where the quality of even the lower tier teams seems to improve with each passing year, that may not be enough. Johnson, while impressive for Birmingham, rarely got called out for his inconsistency, and here he is joining a defence that is already notoriously inconsistent. Meanwhile Wolves' attack was the least productive in the league last season, and while Fletcher and Doyle might sound like a convincing attacking pair together, it won't count for much without some additional quality in the midfield to create chances.

Key Signing: Roger Johnson
Key Man: Kevin Doyle
If they were a car: A Fiat. 60% of the time, it works every time… except that it's more like 20%.

Verdict: Another tough season ahead, which is likely to involve a struggle for survival.

Predicted table:
1. Manchester United
2. Manchester City
3. Chelsea
4. Arsenal
5. Liverpool
6. Tottenham
7. Everton
8. Sunderland
9. Stoke City
10. Aston Villa
11. Fulham
12. Newcastle United
13. Bolton
14. West Brom
15. Norwich
16. Blackburn
17. Wolverhampton Wanderers
18. Swansea City
19. Wigan
20. Queens Park Rangers

"The Cherry Orchard" Theatre Review

2011-08-03T00:00:00.005+01:00

Directed by Howard Davies
Written by Anton Chekhov (Original), Andrew Upton
Starring Zoë Wanamaker, Conleth Hill, Kenneth Cranham
Theatre National Theatre, Olivier

I will begin by saying that Anton Chekhov is one of my favourite playwrights, possibly the favourite, while the Cherry Orchard is one of his most revered plays, considered by many to be his best.

Set at a time of social upheaval, characterised by the rise of the middle class and the fall of the nobility, the Cherry Orchard follows a formerly wealthy family that has been ravaged by debt, as they return home to the family estate to be present as it is auctioned off to pay the mortgage.

Just as the landed gentry at the time were cost by their refusal to face up to the changing times, so does this family ignore all warnings in order to perpetuate the fantasy of permanent status. But the march of "progress" proved to be unstoppable, as presaged here in Chekhov's visionary work.

It’s always a risk when you take such a play that has been done, and done well, in the past and attempt to refresh the script. So it’s no surprise that reaction so far has been mixed at best, with newcomers generally pleased with the production while old fans are grated by the intrusion of modern slang and inconsistent anachronisms.

However, despite my fondness for Chekhov’s original work, I did not find myself particularly bothered by Upton’s liberty taking with the language. The central themes and the underlying historical context all remain intact, ensconced in the kind of rich character drama that only Chekhov can do so well.

For me, the biggest problem with this production comes from a strange lack of heart. One could argue that it is the director’s intention to cast a cruel and unfeeling light on proceedings; it would even be a fitting reflection of the homogenisation of modernity, the inevitability of which casts a pall upon the characters in this play. Ultimately something feels lost in translation as the fantasy of the old world mentality, epitomised by the luxuriant hubris of land owner Ranyevskaya, fails to contrast effectively with the relentless advent of societal change. In a play where the ties of family and tradition are overwhelmed by the changing times, I found myself oddly unmoved.

The play also contains an uneasy marriage between the naturalism that typifies the work of Chekhov, and symbolism that is part and parcel when it comes to a politically intentioned play such as this. Often this works to good effect, with the complex and often unspoken dynamics between characters mirroring the underlying analogies. However other times it comes off as quite jarring, as with perennial student Tofimov and his penchant for meandering monologues making a stark contrast with the otherwise understated and natural style of dialogue.

Aside from these potential criticisms, however, there is much to enjoy with this production. The acting is generally excellent; Zoë Wanamaker shines in the starring role of Ranyevskaya, while Conleth Hill nearly steals the show as the exasperated businessman Lopakhin. Credit must also go to James Laurenson's tragically layered turn as Gaev and Tim McMullan as loveable moocher Simyonov-Pischik, but above all to the venerable Kenneth Cranham for his effortlessly masterful rendition of the senile Firs.

In addition the stagecraft is fantastic, the set makes good use of the Olivier space, and it's level of detail is a thing of beauty. It is even more impressive as it effortlessly transitions from one seen to the next. The lighting is also pitch perfect and atmospheric, giving a real sense of place and time, while the sound-work also displays a keen attention to natural detail in classic Stanislavskian traditions.

In the end this is a technically adept production which never quite achieves the sum of its fine components. This reworked version of the Cherry Orchard serves as a clear reminder that even when the acting and production is done right, it still takes something extra to really capture the soul of a play, an intangible quality that this production unfortunately lacks.

Weekly Round up - 23rd July 2011

2011-07-23T00:00:00.000+01:00

song of the week: "Battery Kinzie" by "Fleet Foxes"

thing that makes me smile today: Finally getting around to seeing the summer movies.
pic of the day
IN:
Futurama
Daniel Sturridge
X-Men: First Class

OUT:
Family Guy
Nicolas Anelka
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Back in the London Groove

2011-07-22T00:00:00.000+01:00

Well it’s been a long time since I made a personal entry on this blog, so I thought I’d just chip in my own inimitable word about the summer, what’s going on with me, and life in general:

I am glad to be back in London after my months of world adventuring, even if I have been working pretty much solid since then, first at the House of Commons and now at Deloitte. Most of you I’ve caught up with recently, but if I haven’t then don’t take offense; I am working 10 hour days at my current job!

Indeed my time in DC was a great experience for a political junkie such as yours truly, and that was just the work part of it. The rest of this trip had everything, from the excitement that comes with exploring a totally new town with new restaurants and attractions, and of course the time honored holiday infatuation (as one does). I could write a whole article about the sights and nightlife of DC, but suffice to say it is a really lovely city, and very reminiscent of a cosmopolitan place like London, albeit on a much smaller scale.

In the meantime, although it may not seem like it lately, it is in fact summer here in big London, and it’s proving to be a good time to renew old acquaintances and make new friends. At first I was disappointed not to have a holiday to go travel abroad as I usually do, but then I realised just how much there is to do in London during the summer. I would have liked to write a bit about the Taste of London festival if I had some time to do so (hint: le Caprice was there, and I could eat there every single day if it weren’t so expensive), the Shoreditch festival is now on if we ever get a sunny enough day to make it worthwhile, and later this month begins the Film4 Festival in London, with cheap tickets for under 25s, on which you’d be a fool to miss out.

As for me, I've started writing again whenever I have a little time, and hopefully will find a little bit of holiday before I begin at law school in September. There’s quite a lot going on right now so expect a few more lengthy blog articles in addition to the regular reviews. I expect I will have a lot to say regarding the News Corp scandal, the 2012 primaries and the upcoming football season in the near future, so stay tuned!

I know a lot of you guys like it when these posts are laced with a bit of drama, but what can I say, it's a very chill time. If you want drama go watch the phone hacking stuff on tv, heck it's more action packed than any of the so called "summer blockbusters" I've seen in the cinema this year.

"Bon Iver - Bon Iver" Album Review

2011-07-13T00:00:00.003+01:00

Genre Folk, Baroque Pop
Label Jagjaguwar
Producers Justin Vernon

When Bon Iver architect Justin Vernon cut himself off in a forest cabin for three months in order to record debut album For Emma, Forever Ago, he ensured that it would go down as a record as notorious for its mythology as its music. It was a tale that complemented the style of music well; sparse, falsetto laden folk musings, with surprisingly evocative lyrics from someone whose band and album names both stem from some really fairly droll wordplay.

The album was critically acclaimed, and Bon Iver became the biggest folk darling since Fleet Foxes, albeit without quite the same level of commercial success. His star has risen considerably since then by positive word of mouth and a bizarre collaboration with Kanye West, and he moves on to his eponymous sophomore effort with the burden of expectation upon him.

Some say that the second album is the most difficult one. From one angle there is the need to maintain the signature style that won over those key fans, and from the other there is the pressure to evolve and avoid accusations of staleness; few bands manage to break these rules and get away with it. Here Veron has managed to find the sweet spot in between these two contrasts.

Those who may have found his early work a little too low key and raw will appreciate Bon Iver’s new sound. Fuller instrumentalisation and lush soundscapes lend an extra panache to Vernon's rustic introspections. The result is something which sounds more sophisticated, yet still as subtly effecting as ever.

Lead single Calgary is the best example of how things have changed; a supremely polished throwback to late 80s new wave, shifting deftly between delicate acoustic lulling and some of the rockier guitar bits on the album. Similarly, opening track Perth takes a more fiery tone with clarion call and civil war style drums, contrasted against Vernon's lush vocals and reverb guitar harmonies.

Meanwhile, Towers stands as one of the traditionally folky songs, with clean picked guitar strums and classic progression before breaking away into a more fluid mid-section, backed by warm string overtures.

Minnesota, WI marks a change with its more groove-laden melodies meshed with dulcet banjo picks and soulful vocals. The name (as with one or two other songs) may spark some curiosity with an album full of tracks mostly named after real world locations, and here we have a strange mishmash of two states. It's actually strangely fitting for an album which fashions a rather dream-like state through its nearly indecipherable lyrics and distorted sound.

The one thing that all of these songs have in common is an almost infallible sense of good taste; there is rarely a bum note or a hackneyed refrain. Vernon shows marked restraint in the way he's crafted these songs, even the more adventurous ones. Often he resists the temptation to indulge in an extra flourish, or he'll build and build, only to play out the track in a sweet and satisfying manner. Indeed the album as a whole is a macrocosm of each carefully thought out bar that at just 10 tracks long, he ensures that it strikes a chord, but doesn't overstay its welcome.

Must Listen
Calgary

Minnesota, WI

Towers

Perth

"Duke Nukem Forever" Videogame Review

2011-07-06T00:00:00.001+01:00

Developed by 3D Realms, Gearbox Software
Published by 2K Games
Genre First Person Shooter
Platform PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Mac OSX

Well here’s a headline I never thought I’d see. After 14 long years the highly anticipated and much ridiculed continuation of the Duke Nukem series has arrived.

Not to dwell too much on the absurdity of the protracted production cycle that has become the stuff of comedians and journalistic scorn, but this really is one of those stories that falls into the category of “too ridiculous to be true”.

Originally due out before the turn of the millennium, 3D Realm’s obsession with the cutting edge led to repeated delays as the developer sought to shoehorn into the game the latest in first person shooter vogue. When Halo came out, they decided they needed regenerative health (which has since become the norm), when Half Life 2 came out, they decided to include physics puzzles and driving sections. Time and time again this game was torn up and reshaped the name of some misguided pursuit of perfection.

3D Realms were digging themselves into a hole. With an approach and time scale like this, not only would it have been impossible to ever live up to expectations, but with so many complete overhauls and updates, the chances of the end product being even vaguely cohesive or polished was pretty low. It had become pretty much assumed that this game would never see the light of day, and when Gearbox Software bought the IP and pledged to finally release the game this year, there were many who felt that it should have stayed that way.

To an extent these fears may have been well founded, but as it turns out, not as much as some would have you think.

Duke Nukem begins in a suitably bombastic style, with plenty of crude humour and pop culture references to go around, and it sets the tone straight away. Urination, fellatio, pot shots at various celebrities all mark the opening segment of the game, and for fans of the series, it’s pretty fun. However, once the shooting begins it becomes apparent at just how dated a product this really is. This game is really 14 years old and it’s noticeable. The graphics may have been brushed up a bit, but it’s all so rough around the edges, and the shooting mechanics themselves feel unrefined. Add to this a rather inelegant and undeveloped series of features from regenerative health to a clumsy interface and unnecessary driving sections which lead one to wonder if there’s much else here aside from the jokes. The only positive innovation to be found is Duke’s “ego” meter, which fills as the player engages in various Duke-like activities, and I’ll leave you to guess what they might be.

The crux of this criticism lies on the uneasy marriage between old school game play and the staples of modern shooters, and what makes it particularly strange is just how unnecessary a debate it is. Love him or hate him, the defining feature of Duke is that he is an anachronism, a remnant of 80s action genre films, complete with outdated sensibilities, arrogant swagger and witty, but often crude one-liners. This being the case, it is somewhat bizarre that the game would be so desperate to integrate modern features of video games which simply don’t fit, rather than embracing the archaic simplicity of its video game forebears as it does the cinematic.

Ultimately there’s too much time here spent trying to imitate more serious first person shooting games, entirely missing the point of what made Duke Nukem so great to begin with. The true character of Duke Nukem came from the ability to do humorous and fun things, unusual and often pointless though they may be. In Duke Nukem 3D one could use sinks and toilets to regain health, give dollar bills to strippers, use candy machines, ride roller coasters and generally interact with your environment in ways that were quite unique at the time. The environment was really a bigger attraction than the shooting game itself. Such an element is clearly not as special in this day and age as it was 20 years ago, but without it all you really have is a mediocre shooting game with some off colour jokes.

Loves:
Classic Duke silliness
Pop culture references

Hates:
Misses the point of Duke
Unpolished
Dated

Weekly Round up - 2nd July 2011

2011-07-02T00:00:00.001+01:00

song of the week: "Calgary" by "Bon Iver"

thing that makes me smile today: The start of Copa Aemerica!
pic of the day
IN:
Bon Iver
Roberto Di Matteo
Wii-U

OUT:
Mumford and Suns
Ray Wilkins
Wii

"Falling Skies" Pilot Review

2011-06-29T00:00:00.002+01:00

Created by Robert Rodat, Steven Spielberg
Starring Noah Wyle, Moon BloodgoodBroadcast date July 5th 2011 (UK)
Running time 45 minutes

When Steven Spielberg attaches his name to a project it's unwise to take it lightly. Over the decades his name has become synonymous with quality, and this extends from his Hollywood milieu into the small screen of television and lately even the video game world.

This latest TV show, Falling Skies is the flagship show for TNT’s new original television programming push, and you can tell they’ve really pulled out all the stops for this one. First we have the involvement of Spielberg, supported by impressive financial backing for a television show, and viral marketing as far as the eye can see, including a 104 page prequel comic set to be released this month.

Co-conceived with Robert Rodat (who you may remember as the screenwriter of Spielberg's film Saving Private Ryan), Falling Skies attempts to broach a new perspective on the classic alien invasion story, this time with a Red Dawn style resistance angle. Whereas we might be accustomed to seeing alien invasion stories focus on the spectacle of the arrival and invasion itself, Falling Skies begins several months after the invasion has taken place, and we have already lost the war. We follow the actions of a desperate group of resistance fighters, struggling to survive in the now alien occupied world. The result is in equal measure part classic war movie, part wasteland survival adventure, and part human drama, with the latter focusing on the innate tensions that arise from disparate personalities and priorities forced to cope under duress and in close quarters.

It’s a smart move for a television show, simultaneously presenting us with a fresh side of a common genre story and avoiding the need for the kind of Independence Day grandiosity that would be impossible to pull off convincingly on a television budget.

For the most part, I found the two hour premiere to be a success. The action looks good and the pacing makes for a compelling narrative. The writers make clear from the start the political thematic context they’re going for, with parallels drawn early on between this conflict and the insurgency movements in Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly the concept that “we don’t need to kill them all, we just need to kill enough”, the show is heavily based around the idea that a determined group of fighters can indeed be a thorn in the side of an advanced occupying army.

But this show is not simply a clumsy political analogy, and indeed there is plenty of material for the writers to work with here, from the rich background mythology that has been set up to the classic human drama which so far appears to be fairly well written. Of course what a show like this really lives and breathes on is a line up of strong characters, and while it’s very early days yet it’s clear that a lot of attention has wisely been given to this aspect of the production, a job made easier by the talented cast, led by familiar face Noah Wyle. However this premiere mostly focused on Wyle’s character, his kids and then just one or two other central characters, and it remains to be seen whether the focus will remain so narrow, or if we will see others being fleshed out in the coming weeks.

On the downside, the slightly cheesy looking aliens and Mars Attacks-like mechanical walkers are a little disappointing, especially when you consider that Spielberg has, in the past, given us some of the most iconic portrayals of aliens in film history. You do get used to it to an extent, particularly when you get up close it doesn’t look so bad, but it is still a pity that they couldn’t have put more effort into creating a more intriguing foe that doesn’t just look like some random “monster of the week” from the Outer Limits.

It’s early days yet, but so far I’m pretty pleased with this show, and I don’t think it would be much of a stretch to say that it’s the best looking new TV show this year, and indeed of the past few years. If the writers can help this show reach its potential and avoid the pitfalls that such genre shows often fall into, then this could be a hit in the making.

"Codes and Keys - Death Cab for Cutie" Album Review

2011-06-26T00:00:00.002+01:00

Genre Indie-Rock
Label Atlantic
Producers Chris Walla

In recent years, the all-encompassing hype that had built around Ben Gibbard's centrepiece project Death Cab for Cutie has faded to an extent, with just the one album since their 2005 peak, and a relatively underwhelming one at that.

With their latest release, Codes and Keys, the band has wisely decided to shake things up a bit. Phonically sparse, and less guitar-centric than their earlier work, this album sounds more like something from Gibbard's other noteworthy outlet, the Postal Service. The shimmering and elaborate effects mark a definite change, but not necessarily one that is detrimental.

The obvious first single is You Are a Tourist, an addictive and uptempo number filled with delicious pop hooks and youthful lyrics. More than any other song on the album, this is one that epitomises what we have come to expect, and if you're a fan of the band then that is a very good thing.

But that's not to say that things don't go as well when they try something a little different, as is the case with the entrancing Unobstructed Views, a track which takes a page from the recent wave of Oceanic electro-pop in flavour and style, or Monday Morning, a playful, at times spacey song of lovestruck nostalgia.

Then there’s the titular track Codes and Keys, an orchestrated and more elaborate tune that achieves one of the more powerful and melancholy moments on the album, while Underneath the Sycamore will please fans of previous albums Plans and Narrow Stairs and their particular brand of upbeat romanticism.

Ultimately what makes this album a success and an improvement upon more recent efforts is the return of Death Cab’s distinct energy, an optimistic vibrancy that pervades even their more low-tempo or gloomy songs to some extent. Plans had it, Transatlanticism had it. Narrow Stairs did not, but Codes and Keys marks the return to form for Gibbard and co.

The overall proceedings may not be consistently convincing, but with a handful of decent songs and some particularly fine moments the end result is a very worthwhile album and an intriguing hint of where the band might be heading with its next album.

Must Listen
You Are a Tourist

Monday Morning

Codes and Keys

Weekly Round up - 25th June 2011

2011-06-25T00:00:00.006+01:00

song of the week: "Amor Fati" by "Washed Out"

thing that makes me smile today: Festival season; Taste of London, Greenwich, Film4, etc.
pic of the day
IN:
Washed Out
Andre Villas-Boas
3DS virtual console

OUT:
Bands who pretend to be Washed Out
Guus Hiddink
Wii virtual console

The Ephemeric FA Premier League 2010/2011 Review

2011-06-22T00:00:00.001+01:00

Another season of Premier League football has passed us by, and as always, we at the Ephemeric have gone into a painstakingly detailed analysis of each of the Premiership teams’ seasons, and presented our thoughts on the future.

As predicted it is Manchester United who claim the glory. If we’re being honest, it wasn’t a particularly good season. Few players stood out and no team really looked convincing Champions. Meanwhile the top scorer struck only a meagre 20 goals this year.

We'll begin with our season summary and team of the season, and then follow with a team by team review.

2011 Premier League Summary:

Winners: Manchester United
Relegated: Birmingham, Blackpool, West Ham
Top Scorer: Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez (20)
Most Assists: Nani (18)
Overachievers: West Brom
Underachievers: Birmingham
Best signing of the season: Javier Hernández
Worst signing of the season: Joe Cole
Player of the Year: Edwin van der Sar
Manager of the Year: Sir Alex Ferguson

2011 Premier Team of the Season:

Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar- A fitting sign off for the legendary goalkeeper. Even though his defenders like Vidic and Ferdinand may often end up with the credit, the real hero of Manchester United’s backline this season was this man. Consistent throughout, van der Sar really went the extra mile when it came to the big matches, where heroic series of acrobatic saves earned key victories when most other keepers would have conceded. My player of the year.

Right Back: Bacary Sagna- One of Arsenal’s few bright lights in a season of defensive shakiness. Sagna was back to his marauding best, contributing assists and even a rare goal whilst remaining solid at the back.

Centrebacks: John Terry & Nemanja Vidic- For the centre of defense, two men stand head and shoulders above the rest this year. Vidic was heroic at the heart of Manchester United’s title winning season with an injury hit defense that was rarely at full strength. John Terry meanwhile was back in the headlines for the right reasons after the unwelcome distractions of last year. Rightly reclaimed his England captaincy, and stood strong at the centre of the league’s best defense, conceding only 33 goals.

Left Back: Ashley Cole- No surprise here as the man voted England’s player of the year by the fans was also named in the official PFA team of the season, and with good cause. Cole has been one of the most consistent footballers of the past decade, and continued his fine attacking and defensive form this season.

Right Mid: Nani – In a memorable season for his team, Nani finally found the consistency that his potential always hinted he would be capable of, taking centre-stage in a season of inconsistent form from United’s attackers. Dangerous in front of goal and prolific with the crucial assist.

Centre Mids: Charlie Adam & Yaya Touré- It all ended so disappointingly for Blackpool, but Charlie Adam took his opportunity in the top flight with both hands, establishing his name as one of the league’s top performers and a player who pretty damn near carried his team to survival. A move to a bigger club seems inevitable this summer. Meanwhile Yaya Touré arrived at Man City with the pressure of a big money fee and massive wages, but managed to live up to his billing, particularly in the latter half of the season. An FA Cup winning goal was the least the all action midfielder deserved from his debut in English football.

Left Mid: Luis Suárez – A central figure the Liverpool revival during the second half of the season that saw Kenny Daglish’s team become the form side in the league. Suárez adapted to life on Merseyside far quicker than anyone could have expected and even during his brief half-season became a subject of intense fear for many defenses, not least of all Manchester United, who were torn apart by Suárez in Liverpool’s immense 3-1 victory.

Forwards: Carlos Tévez & Javier Hernández – Despite being regarded as a top quality player, Carlos Tévez is rarely given the same level of attention as a Messi or Rooney. Yet more than any other player he is a man who delivers year after year, contributing goals, assists and invaluable leadership. His future seems to lie away from Man City, and so probably away from England, but truly it would be a crime for him not to be remembered as one of the top, and most underrated players to have graced the Premier League in recent years. Meanwhile Hernández has had a dream debut season for United, not just as an impact sub as he was originally envisioned for this season, but as a leading man for a United side that has at times looked a little more goal-shy than we have come to expect. In key games in particular Hernández always came good when needed, and without the points his winning goals earned, United would not be champions.

Team by team Review

ARSENAL

Predicted Position: 3rd
Final Position: 4th

Another season of stagnation from a team that statistically still hasn’t managed to improve noticeably in recent years, despite the apparent fall in dominance from the top two of Chelsea and Manchester United. It’s becoming a very familiar pattern for Gunners fans: start with low expectations, soar in confidence around January following the traditional big team winter slump, end the season trophiless after a torrid spring.

Arsene Wenger still does what he can with the weak squad depth at his disposal, but patience is starting to wear thin among fans and probably some members of the board after going the better part of a decade without winning anything. The difficulty going forward seems to be attracting the kind of talent that can propel the club back to the top. Arsenal’s weak record in recent years is a turn off for top tier players, competition for top young players has skyrocketed, and all that new stadium money still has to pay off a mountain of debt before it can be put to use in the transfer market. It may be time for the Gunners to accept that Chelsea or Man City style investment is necessary in order to arrest the club’s slide down the table.

Of immediate concern for the club will be the status of Cesc Fabregas, whose poor form reflected the frustrations of a player who really doesn’t want to be at the club anymore. The decision not to sell him to Barcelona last summer now looks a very poor one indeed, especially as his going price is likely to be considerably less this year. On a brighter note, the club seems to have finally solved their long standing goalkeeper dilemma with the emergence of Wojciech Szczęsny. In addition, Van Persie has cemented his reputation as one of the top strikers in the game when fit with his astonishing goal-scoring record, while Samir Nasri finally seemed to mature into a central figure this season, though in both cases there are strong rumours of a move away from the club.

Best Player: Robin Van Persie
Worst Player: Cesc Fabregas
Summer transfer targets: Defenders of all positions, a strong centre-froward

ASTON VILLA

Predicted Position: 7th
Final Position: 9th

A step backwards for the club this year following Martin O’Neill’s falling out with the board. The club slipped further down into mid-table, and it’s hard to see how they will manage to turn the corner in the near future, especially with yet another manager change on the horizon for health reasons.

It is a fitting epitaph, if indeed the cause for O’Neill’s departure was the club owners’ willingness to sell star players, that what remains of O’Neill’s golden boys appears set to follow him out the door this summer, with Ashley Young seemingly days away from a move to Old Trafford.

Best Player: Ashley Young
Worst Player: Stephen Ireland
Summer transfer targets: Replacements for Ashley Young and Brad Friedel.

BIRMINGHAM

Predicted Position: 11th
Final Position: 18th

Many, myself included, expected something of a second season hangover for Birmingham, especially following the departure of Joe Hart back to Man City. Indeed this is precisely what happened in something of a nightmare season which sees the Blues relegated back to the Championship, and their manager Alex McLeish ditching the sinking ship to join arch rivals Aston Villa.

An experienced and steady hand will be needed at the helm in order to stabilise the club and work on getting back to the top flight. A consistent striker will be top of the shopping list, and beyond that replacements will be needed for the likely efflux of key personnel, for example Sebastian Larsson, who has strongly been linked with a move to Arsenal or Sunderland.

Best Player: Sebastian Larsson
Worst Player: Alexander Hleb
Summer transfer targets: Forward, midfield

BLACKBURN ROVERS

Predicted Position: 9th
Final Position: 15th

A season of disappointment after the club’s new Indian billionaire owners mystifyingly sacked Sam Allardyce in the middle of the season. Having been comfortably placed until that point, the club proceeded to slide down into the relegation battle, and only confirmed their retention of top flight status on the final day of the season.

Of pressing concern for the club will be key players who seem set to depart. Hot prospect Phil Jones has already moved to Old Trafford, and star defender Samba seems likely to move to a bigger club in the coming weeks.

It remains to be seen whether new manager Kean can replicate Allardyce’s success at the club, but one thing is for sure, he has his work cut out for him. A lot of uncertainty remains.

Best Player: Chris Samba
Worst Player: El-Hadji Diouf
Summer transfer targets: Defensive cover

BLACKPOOL

Predicted Position: 20th
Final Position: 19th

It all started so promisingly for the club, with a series of exciting performances shattering the pundits’ early pessimism. Unfortunately it didn’t last long, and the second half of the season saw a dramatic nosedive for the Seasiders.

Ian Holloway has done a fine job with the club and deserves credit, but more than that he was a fantastic addition to the top flight, and particularly the match of the day interviews, full of colour. He will be missed.

The worry will be over key players like Charlie Adam, who really made a name for himself this season. Adam will leave the club this summer, having very nearly done just that in the January transfer window. As is usually the case with a relegated club, the focus for this summer will have to be minimising player losses, and reinforcing the squad in order to avoid a Charlton-esque collapse.

Best Player: Charlie Adam
Worst Player: Richard Kingson
Summer transfer targets: Midfield reinforcement

BOLTON WANDERERS

Predicted Position: 10th
Final Position: 14th

Another inconsistent season for the club which nevertheless provided another look at a real up and coming manager in Owen Coyle. Coyle has done well to shake off the post-Allardyce cobwebs that had plagued the club since his departure several years ago, and indeed he pulled off something of a coup in bringing one of England’s brightest talents in years to the club on loan in Daniel Sturridge. A sublime 8 goals in 12 appearances tells the full story there.

But next year Sturridge will be gone, and key defender Gary Cahill will likely be next out the door. New blood is needed at Birmingham in the playing staff, while everything must be done to make sure that Owen Coyle remains at the club for as long as possible, as a move to a bigger team seems likely at some point on the horizon.

Best Player: Daniel Sturridge
Worst Player: Ali el-Habsi
Summer transfer targets: Forward, Defender

CHELSEA

Predicted Position: 2nd
Final Position: 2nd

A history making, record goal scoring, league and cup double last season, coupled with their swaggering champagne football start to the season, made the Blues an early title favourite of most pundits. However such flourishes merely masked over what was in reality a mediocre previous season, filled with silverware mostly because of the poor form of their rivals.

Indeed, these same pundits are now falling over themselves trying to pinpoint exactly where the season went wrong. Many point to the key long term injuries of Lampard, Alex and the November spell where most of Chelsea’s defense were in the physio room on a regular basis. However those who follow the club closely will know that injuries are nothing new for this club, and relatively speaking, this was probably one of the lighter injury lists Chelsea have had in recent years. The trouble is that the club simply were not as good as they had been hyped, and with surprisingly little investment in recent years (a trend which appears to have ended with the signings of David Luiz and Fernando Torres) the club was getting stale.

The real turning point, though, was the unexplained sacking of Assistant Manager Ray Wilkins, a popular and influential figure in the dressing room. It doesn’t take a genius to tell you that firing one half of your double winning management team is going to have repercussions, and worse still when you replace him with Michael Emenalo, a man whose only prior management experience was of an under 11s girls soccer team in the United States. This whole incident is a perfect example of the self destructive hubris and nepotism that all too often seems to characterise how the club is run these days.

In terms of the playing staff; Frank Lampard finally appears to be slowing down, and a replacement is much needed. The same goes for Didier Drogba. Michael Essien’s knees appear to be well and truly shot after years of recurring injuries, and his position at the club must now be called into question, while the likes of Florent Malouda and José Bosingwa appear far too inconsistent to really come up for the team when needed. Young replacements are needed across the shop, while the club will also need to keep blooding their own youth products like Josh McEachran, Daniel Sturridge and Gaël Kakuta. On the plus side, Petr Cech had his finest (and first injury free) season in goal for many years, while new signings David Luiz and Ramires have had a very successful start to their Chelsea careers.

Best Player: Petr Cech
Worst Player: José Bosingwa
Summer transfer targets: Central midfielder(s), Winger(s)

EVERTON

Predicted Position: 8th
Final Position: 7th

More of the same for Everton as David Moyes continues to do a fine job of keeping Everton on the fringes of the big time with no investment from the clubs’ owners and little prospect of that changing.

Louis Saha’s disappointing form has left the club without a serious goal threat, once again, with Jermaine Beckford the next best option. Meanwhile Tim Cahill appears past his best. More concerning will be the potential departure of key players such as Fellaini, Rodwell and above all, Leighton Baines.

There is great potential here for finding investors. Everton is no small brand in the football world and one would think it could be done. On the other hand one wonders how long Moyes will stick around as it becomes ever clearer that there really isn’t any further he can take this team for the foreseeable future.

Best Player: Leighton Baines
Worst Player: Louis Saha
Summer transfer targets: Striker(s)

FULHAM

Predicted Position: 15th
Final Position: 8th

No Roy Hodgson, no top half finish, or so the logic went. Indeed this is exactly how the season was looking for the London side at the start of the season, but Mark Hughes has done a fine job, and key players have continued to impress, most notably American winger Clint Dempsey.

Hughes is gone now after one year, and Martin Jol is the man who will take the reins next year. Jol is an experienced manager and a good choice from the club’s wily owners (Michael Jackson statue not withstanding). Stability is a must over the next few years now if Fulham wants to move forward, but for the time being the club set up appears resilient enough to continue on in such a fashion as we have seen until now.

The fundamentals of the team remain strong, with the capable defense of Hangeland, Hughes and Schwarzer in goal, and the proven attacking talent of Zamora, Dempsey and the promise of youngster Dembélé.

Best Player: Clint Dempsey
Worst Player: Philippe Senderos
Summer transfer targets: More depth up front and in the midfield

LIVERPOOL

Predicted Position: 5th
Final Position: 6th

This season started much like the last one, with Liverpool in atrocious form, leaving fans wondering if mid table was the new normal. Roy Hodgson failed as a manager, and it was not the first time he had been unable to perform on the big stage as well as he does for smaller boutique clubs like Fulham.

Kenny Daglish has come in and done an amazing job in his half season with the club, turning them from the disaster story of the Premier League to a team who will surely be considered title contenders again next season after becoming the form team in the league bar none and rising back into Europa League qualification.

Andy Carroll is a solid if wildly overpriced addition to the team, and Luis Suárez is a marvellous talent for the English league. However, the likes of Poulsen, Cole and Konchesky have been major flops at the club, while captain Steven Gerrard still looks a shadow of his former self. The club is heading back in the right direction, but there is still much work that needs to be done in order to continue Daglish’s fine transformation.

Jordan Henderson is set to make the (also overpriced) switch to Merseyside, while young blood is desired all over the squad, particularly in defense and on the wing.

Best Player: Luis Suárez
Worst Player: Paul Konchesky
Summer transfer targets: Young talent

MANCHESTER CITY

Predicted Position: 4th
Final Position: 3th

A strong season in which Manchester City confirmed that, yes, they can become title contenders in the near future. Mancini has had his doubters, but having won the club’s first major silverware since 1978 in this year’s FA Cup, no one can question his ability to do the job, especially with the financial backing he has at his disposal.

Manchester City seem to be the only club who remain unconcerned with the upcoming financial fairplay rules, and are set to spend big yet again this summer, only this time with the added clout of Champions League football and a real sense of potential for next season.

However if, as it seems, Carlos Tévez is set to leave the club, this would be a massive setback for City’s ambitions. Especially when you consider that temperamental Balotelli and misfiring Eden Dzeko remain the best alternatives at the club. However with Joe Hart excelling in goal and defense that finally looks like they know how to play together, the club has solid foundations upon which to build for the first time.

Best Player: Yaya Touré
Worst Player: Mario Balotelli
Summer transfer targets: Striker(s), depth in defense.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Predicted Position: Champions
Final Position: Champions

It was a memorable year for United in which the club finally clinched their record setting 19th title. Despite this, however, they appeared hopelessly outclassed in the Champions League final against Barcelona, and recorded their lowest points total in the league in years, owing their title victory more to the underachievement of other teams.

Going forward, Sir Alex finally appears to be replacing his aging team, with Scholes retiring, and Giggs surely approaching the end of the road. The likes of Jones, De Gea and Young who all appear set to join the club will make fine additions to the spine he has started with the likes of Jones and Javier Hernández.

Such an overhaul always carries risk, especially when replacing a team that has been around as long as a good 20 years and won everything. However with Ferguson at the helm no one at the club will have any worries whatsoever. What should be a worry is how much longer Ferguson will still be around.

Best Player: Javier Hernández
Worst Player: Rio Ferdinand
Summer transfer targets: Goalkeeper, central midfielder

Newcastle United

Predicted Position: 13th
Final Position: 12th

A predictably solid return to the top flight for the Magpies, marred by the inexplicable sacking of Hughton, the man who after all got the team back to the Premier League and put them in the top half of the table in their first season back.

The sale of star striker Carroll will also be a concern, but Pardew is no slouch as a manager, and he will have a plan and the considerable resources of Mike Ashley with which to fashion a new foundation for top flight football. That is, if he can survive the darker side of Ashley’s ownership.

Top of the hit list will be new attacking talent up front and reinforcements in the midfield as the club seeks to replace outgoing players and Championship quality players.

Best Player: Andy Carroll
Worst Player: Alan Smith
Summer transfer targets: Striker, winger, midfielder

STOKE

Predicted Position: 14th
Final Position: 13th

Another season of great credit for Tony Pulis and his men, whose position in the top flight now looks reasonably cemented. Indeed they even went a step further and reached the FA Cup final where they narrowly lost to Manchester City.

What’s more, the quality of their play has increased enormously over the past year, and the likes of Jermaine Pennant have offered an effective new strategy in addition to Delap’s tried and tested throw ins.

The most amusing black spot on Stoke’s season would be the bungled transfer of Demba Ba, who failed a medical having already agreed terms, only to then sign for West Ham and score 7 goals in 12 games.

Best Player: Robert Huth
Worst Player: John Carew
Summer transfer targets: Striker, fullback

SUNDERLAND

Predicted Position: 12th
Final Position: 10th

Another admirable season for the Black Cats, who managed to maintain course for a top half finish in spite of injury problems and the surprising loss of top scorer and key player Darren Bent. The past few seasons have seen a number of prominent faces coming and going, but the goal must now be to aim for some consistency, both in personnel and ultimately in results on the pitch.

Steve Bruce is a fine manager, and he copes well, but now he must put his available cash to good use in the summer to ensure that the club can maintain the momentum of recent years and solidify their presence in the top half of the table.

Best Player: Jordan Henderson
Worst Player: Boudewijn Zenden
Summer transfer targets: Striker, central midfielder, general squad depth

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Predicted Position: 6th
Final Position: 5th

This Tottenham team may have hit a wall. After the high of their first Champions League campaign, achieved by a fourth place finish last season, they were unable to repeat the feat this time around. Nevertheless the club will enjoy fond memories of their exciting campaign in Europe, which saw memorable victories against the likes of Inter and AC Milan before their run was cut short by Mourinho’s Real Madrid.

Ultimately, Spurs were undone by a lack of squad depth, and injuries to key players such as Gareth Bale. Tottenham have a history of heavy summer investment in recent years and this will need to continue if they are to push for the Champions League again. Everyone involved knows that it’s not going to get any easier from here, the level of competition at the top is only increasing, with at the very least the likes of Liverpool, Spurs, Man City, Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal competing for just four places.

The biggest issue for the club going forward will be a lack of quality up front. The always inconsistent Defoe is now not even that, and his alternatives, Crouch and Pavlyuchenko, are simply not Champions League material. On the plus side though the midfield looks very strong, with Rafael Van Der Vaart an absolute revelation this season lining up alongside Bale and Modric.

Best Player: Rafael Van Der Vaart
Worst Player: Jermain Defoe
Summer transfer targets: Striker(s)

WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Predicted Position: 19th
Final Position: 11th

An impressive first year back in the top flight, if a little turbulent at times. Roberto Di Matteo started the season on a strong footing, but quickly lost the plot and with it, his job. Step up Liverpool flop Roy Hodgson, the king of helping small clubs overachieve.

It turns out that WBA have surprising depth in the midfield, and a capable goal scorer in Peter Odemwingie. That will not be enough to ensure continued survival however, and Roy will have to be at his wily best to snap up some reinforcements in this increasingly competitive market.

Best Player: Peter Odemwingie
Worst Player: Marc-Antoine Fortune
Summer transfer targets: More firepower up front, midfield reinforcements

WEST HAM UNITED
Predicted Position: 16th
Final Position: 20th

More self destructive shenanigans from the club’s owners, and the hapless management of a man who has been relegated twice in as many years ensured that this was a disaster of a season for West Ham.

Indeed, many of the players as well must share the blame, but their fate looked all but set in stone as early as Christmas. Now the task falls upon incoming manager Sam Allardyce to work his trademark magic and make a team out of this club, with a return to the Premiership the ultimate prize. There is no question that for once the board has made the right call here, Allardyce is the man to help the club out of this sticky mess.

Scott Parker was the highlight of the season, even if his Player of the Year Award win seems a little odd for a man whose team finished rock bottom of the league. Still, there is no doubt that Parker is a fine player indeed, and one who I was very sad to see depart from Stamford Bridge all those years ago. Now it looks like he will once again move on, this time to a bigger club. Allardyce has his work cut out for him.

Best Player: Scott Parker
Worst Player: Wayne Bridge
Summer transfer targets: Striker(s), a midfield general to replace Parker, all defender(s)

WIGAN ATHLETIC
Predicted Position: 18th
Final Position: 16th

A lot of people’s tip for the drop this season, Wigan’s awful start did little to allay fans’ fears. Still, they somehow managed to keep themselves within touching distance of safety throughout the year, and were rewarded on the final day of the season when they clinched survival in dramatic fashion. Perhaps there is something to this Martinez bloke after all.

This Wigan side is a strange one, often recording wins against the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea, only to stumble against far less taxing opposition. Having players who know how to step up for the big games is key, but they will find their challenge that much harder if, as expected, players like N’Zogbia and Rodallega leave the club in the near future. As such, this may be a summer which requires them to strengthen across the board, or face another struggle for survival next season.

Best Player: Charles N’Zogbia
Worst Player: Chris Kirkland
Summer transfer targets: Reinforcements across the board

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Predicted Position: 17th
Final Position: 17th

I had a feeling that Mick McCarthy would keep this team in the top flight, just about, and that’s exactly what happened, even if it took a late, late goal on the last day of the season to ensure that Wolves will be playing Premier League football next season.

But the club cannot rest on its laurels, even for the summer months, in this day and age. There’s work to be done if they want to ensure survival next season. If they can keep the likes of Doyle, Jarvis and Fletcher on the team then that is a start, and will provide a good foundation upon which to build a team that can push more for somewhere around the midtable.

Best Player: Matt Jarvis
Worst Player: Michael Mancienne
Summer transfer targets: Defensive strength primarily

So there we are for another year, we hope you enjoyed that. Stay tuned for our big preview of next season coming up in August, same time as always. Until then.

"LA Noire" Videogame Review

2011-06-15T00:00:00.001+01:00

Developed by Team Bondi, Rockstar Games
Published by Rockstar Games
Genre Third Person Action/Adventure
Platform Xbox 360, PS3

Team Bondi of Rockstar Games are better known as the developers of the landmark Grand Theft Auto series, games which garner as much attention for their controversial elements as their advancements of the open world genre. But this time they're abandoning the life of crime for a career in law enforcement.

In LA Noire you play Detective Cole Phelps, an ex-war hero and hot shot up and comer in the LAPD. You work your way from the patrol beat through various desks as you uncover the dirt and grime on the seedier side of Los Angeles.

The game setting itself features a large and fully explorable recreation of Los Angeles, complete with recognisable landmarks and many of Rockstar's trademark parodies on pop-culture.

Anyone familiar with the Grand Theft Auto series will be immediately familiar with the gameplay and controls, from shootout scenes to driving through the streets.

However, the real meat and potatoes of the game involves examining crime scenes for evidence and interviewing witnesses/suspects. The former is classic adventure game fare, scour game areas for clues, use the analog stick to examine objects from every angle and general puzzle solving. The latter though employs the all new facial animation technology that has set the media ablaze.

LA Noire features some quite sophisticated multi-camera full facial scanning, which renders the characters in-game with an astonishing level of realism and detail. The quality of the graphics themselves are nothing special at all (still based on the old GTA IV engine) but with facial animation this detailed there really are times when one can't believe that they are simply watching a videogame. The main application for this in-game is for interviews, where players will have to watch and scrutinize every slightest facial tick and expression in order to determine whether or not the person is being entirely forthright.

The other very entertaining result of this new technology is that it makes the actors used to model the in-game characters extremely recognizable, and throughout the game players will experience numerous "oh hey it's that guy from that tv show/movie" moments. It also helps that Rockstar have assembled a very talented cast, featuring instantly recognizable actors from shows like Mad Men, Scrubs, Lost, Heroes, and Fringe. It all lends LA Noire a cinematic quality unlike anything seen before in video games.

For the most part this all works pretty well; the detective aspects are all very rewarding and entertaining, and the experience as a whole is a pleasure. But LA Noire still suffers from many of the engine and gameplay issues that previous Rockstar titles have had, particularly with the driving and shooting scenes. In addition, LA Noire's story itself is surprisingly lacklustre, considering Rockstar are widely known for the high quality and pacing of their narratives, LA Noire seems oddly half-assed and uninspired.

In particular LA Noire has serious pacing problems in the second half of the game, after hitting a real high point with the fantastic homicide desk missions, the latter parts of the game feel like a bit of a step down in terms of excitement and spectacle. In addition, the backstory of the main protagonist Cole Phelps seems strangely thin, which becomes a real problem in the later parts of the game when personal events are suddenly and bizarrely thrust centre-stage with almost zero previous build up. This lack of basic story-telling technique makes it difficult to really care about what happens, and it's a surprising lack of finesse from a developer renowned for so much more.

It is also worth noting that despite the big explorable city in which the game is set, this is not an open world game, and there is in fact very little to do in the big city aside from traditional "collectible" hunting which is of no real consequence other than for completionists. This plays into the bigger issue that comes from the lack of replayability. For obvious reasons, once you've played the game and solved the cases, there is little suspense in playing them again.

Still, aside from these issues LA Noire is more hit than miss. The story may be underwhelming, the but the incredible cinematic polish with which it is presented makes it a joy to play through, if for no other reason than it's something new and exctiing for videogames.

A far more lasting legacy from this game will be the animation technology, and if nothing else, LA Noire serves as an exciting example of what's to come.

Loves:
Amazing facial animation
Top notch presentation
Clever and innovative gameplay

Hates:
Surprisingly weak story and characters
Nothing to do in LA
Short, not much replay value

"Cults - Cults" Album Review

2011-06-08T00:00:00.002+01:00

Genre Indie-Pop
Label In the Name of Columbia
Producers Cults, Shane Stoneback

Cults initially burst onto the scene about two years ago now amid a flurry of hype and an air of mystery. While their world beating hit Go Outside made the rounds online and eventually on our televisions and radio (I can't imagine there's anyone who hasn't heard it by now), not a whole lot was actually known about the band aside from that which was gleaned from a sparse Bandcamp webpage with just the one song listed.

Now that their debut album is finally complete it remains to be seen whether the band will manage to live up to the imposingly high standards they have set for themselves, or if this will simply be another disappointment as seen with similarly hyped bands like Tennis.

The band consists of two students from New York, Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin, but aside from that there is not a whole lot that is known about the people behind the music. Theirs' is a retro sound, mingling the style of modern indie-pop with the low-fi aesthetic of the 1960s. The trouble is, while this may have been all the rage back when Go Outside first came to our attention, low-fi boy/girl duos are quite common nowadays following the likes of the XX, Tennis and the Kills. Indeed Cults may be a victim of their own sluggishness in following up the hype.

For the most part though, the eponymous debut delivers everything that one could have hoped for, and in many ways exactly what was expected. Much of the album follows the same path as their breakout hit, with songs like Most Wanted and Oh My God refining the band's taste for melodies that are catchy but sweet, and lyrics that are wistful and universally sentimental. These lyrics are not high art, but they are evocative in their simplicity, as anyone who has heard Go Outside will agree.

That song evoked positivity and celebrated a passion for living, along with perhaps a twinge of teenage petulance; on the whole it's a conceit that the band sticks to through much of this album. As such you can expect to hear this one described frequently as a "summer album" as the cliché goes, and frankly I think few would argue with that.

Equally noteworthy are the songs where the band goes a bit more offbeat as with the infectious Never Saw the Point which makes use of some of the more euphoric stylings of modern pop as it crescendos up until its final moments.

But in this humble writer's opinion the best song on the album is its darkest sounding, but again deceptively positive track: You Know What I Mean. This powerful moment gives us a taste of what Sinead O'Connor or the Supremes might sound like with today's synth and modern sensibilities, except this is far better even than that.

So in the end this is one highly anticipated album which did not disappoint, even if it's not the world shattering debut that one might secretly have hoped it would be.

Must Listen
Go Outside

You Know What I Mean

Never Saw the Point

Weekly Round up - 4th June 2011

2011-06-04T00:00:00.002+01:00

song of the week: "Hide and Seek (acoustic cover)" by "Antoine Dufour"

thing that makes me grimace today: One of "those" days.

pic of the day
IN:
Cults (the band)
Tennis (the sport)
LA Noire DLC

OUT:
Tennis (the band)
Cults (the crazy shit)
Read Dead Redemption DLC

"Crysis 2" Videogame Review

2011-05-31T00:00:00.001+01:00

Developed by Crytek
Published by Electronic Arts
Genre First Person Shooter
Platform PC, Xbox 360, PS3

As one of the first AAA videogame titles this year, Crysis 2 shouldered the great weight of expectation that exceeds even what one would expect for the sequel of such a critically and commercially acclaimed title. Crysis redefined the first person shooter genre and set a new benchmark for technical achievement, could even the best of sequels hope to match up to either of these achievements?

In one regard Crysis 2 succeeds easily, in that Crytek have once again set a new standard for visual quality. Crysis 2 is beautiful, and will tax even the most powerful of machines if you're a PC gamer. The only flaw is the absurd overuse of motion blur that makes everything look like you're wandering through some exaggerated dream, even in moments of inaction. Fortunately this effect can be easily deactivated via the console.

In terms of gameplay however Crytek have made some interesting design choices. First the setting has been changed drastically from the Far Cry-esque tropical jungle of the original to an urban one, set in the burning rubble of an under-siege New York City.

This is a pretty big deal because of the surprising ramifications it has on gameplay. Whereas Crysis brought a uniquely open world approach to first person shooters, with large maps designed to encourage exploration multiple different styles of play, Crysis 2 is far more narrow and linear in it's structure. The new levels are still large enough to allow for multiple strategies and a fair bit of route planning, but certainly nothing like the first game.

Similarly efforts have clearly been made to streamline and simplify gameplay. Usually when game developers do this it concerns me, as many don't seem able to tell the difference between "streamlined" and "dumbed down" (see Civilization V for a perfect example), but fortunately Crytek seem to be on the right page here and have pulled off something of a technical marvel in accommodating the range of gameplay styles and "nanosuit" functions that made the original so entertaining, but in a far less cumbersome fashion. Far from dumbing down proceedings, the core gameplay in Crysis 2 is a far more focused and enjoyable affair than its predecessor.

In terms of storyline, well if you're playing Crysis 2 for the narrative then you're barking up the wrong tree. It's typical sci-fi blockbuster fare, with the aliens that were discovered during the events of the original now converging upon civilisation in a full blown invasion. It lacks some of the suspense and mystery that made the opening chapters of Crysis so intriguing, in exchange for full on action; guns, explosions and carnage. This is not necessarily a bad thing for a game like this.

The end product is a familiar yet inventive cinematic videogame, which sets new heights for videogame graphics and manages to focus and improve upon the gameplay of the original, perhaps at the expense of some of the distinctive open-world features which characterised it. In terms of making a lasting contribution to the genre, this game is more an evolution on a winning formula than a real step forward, but considering how good it is, we should be willing to forgive that.

Loves:
Eye-poppingly good graphics
Slick gameplay
Excellent balance

Hates:
More narrow level design
Not as groundbreaking as the original

"Source Code" Film Review

2011-05-29T00:00:00.001+01:00

Directed by Duncan Jones
Written by Ben Ripley
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Running time 93 minutes

Zowie Bowie follows up his critically acclaimed debut Moon with another foray into intelligent science fiction.

Source Code ditches the minimalist aesthetic that worked so well for Duncan Jones in Moon and delves into a more traditional blockbuster thriller mould, along the lines of an Inception or Twelve Monkeys.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Colter Stevens, a US soldier who is repeatedly sent into the memories of a man recently deceased in a terrorist attack in order to try and find details which could lead to his arrest in the real world. At first Stevens knows nothing about his situation, including where he is or what he's being expected to do, an amnesia angle that puts our protagonist in the same shoes as the audience. Information is fed out slowly and with expert pacing as little by little we get a glimpse of the full picture.

As with Moon, Jones delves deeper into philosophical questions of identity and autonomy, whilst grappling with science fiction staples that have stumped many film makers in the past such as quantum mechanics and neuroscience. The weakness of this film comes from the latter, with an underlying premise that holds together about as well as Donald Trump's hairpiece on a windy day.

It's hard to elaborate without giving too much away but in brief, (POSSIBLE SPOILERS) Source Code never seems able to decide whether it wants to deal with a time machine or a Matrix-style simulation, with a technical exposition that describes the latter but inexplicably leads to consequences that would arise from the former. Indeed one is left with the impression that the script writer himself is unsure of the difference between the two concepts and we are left with a sort of a vague, muddled conceit to the film where one minute we're talking about an artificial recreation of events and the next we're talking about changing the past and time travel.

The mark of good science fiction is where even the most preposterous and fantastical of premises will nevertheless follow through logically to some degree (for example, Inception), the narrative has to flow through the fantasy. By contrast this feels more like a writer desperately jumping from one half baked fantasy to the next in order to achieve his desired narrative outcome.

That being said, I still like this film a surprising amount. The fact that Source Code manages to succeed overall owes itself to two things.

One word you are going to hear being used a lot to describe this film is "disciplined", and this is exactly how I would describe the direction. Duncan Jones, continuing to impress in a very different style of film from his debut, orchestrates proceedings at such a masterful pace that you will honestly find yourself too absorbed in the onscreen events to really over-think things, except when he wants you to.

Then there is the acting. The fine performances from Source Code's leads rightly draws the attention away from the shaky premise and focuses it on the character and human element of the story. Gyllenhaal in particular carries the film in this regard, drawing us into these utterly absurd events with his typical charisma, adding a comic edge to dire proceedings, and making believers out of all of us. Ultimately I didn't even care how solid the actual premise was, because I was so caught up in the character story onscreen. This is how the film manages to succeed in spite of itself.

A film like this will only ever work if it can make the audience believe in what's happening on screen. In the absence of a convincingly coherent premise, Source Code manages to do this by focusing on a strong human element. As for Duncan Jones, his career continues to advance, with confirmation that he won't go down as just another one hit wonder.

"Loves":
Human aspect
Effective direction

Hates:
Poorly constructed premise that screams out "we're not even trying"

Weekly Round up - 28th May 2011

2011-05-28T00:00:00.001+01:00

song of the week: "Blue Spotted Tail" by "Fleet Foxes"

thing that makes me smile today: New friends.

pic of the day
IN:
Source Code
Corruption in FIFA
NY-26

OUT:
Scream 4
Corruption in DC
NY-23

Various Album Mini-Review Bonanza!

2011-05-24T00:00:00.002+01:00

It's sad but true, I'm a busy man. I don't have anywhere near the amount of time I used to for writing on this blog, and so I need to get creative. Behold: the birth of the mini-reviews!

What follows is a burst of quick and succinct album reviews that I feel are worth noting, but for which I frankly don't have the time to give full reviews. I'll link to key songs in the text of each review. Enjoy!

Collapse Into Now - R.E.M.
Genre Alternative Rock

It's hard to believe that R.E.M. have been around for thirty years, but over that time they have forged their status as one of the iconic American rock bands. Despite this, their recent work has been pretty poor, as those who suffered through 2008's Accelerate will remember.

Well their newest offering makes it quite clear that Michael Stipe and co have still got it, marking a return to their best. The new tracks owe much to vintage R.E.M., with the likes of ÜBerlin showcasing the band at their energetic best, while songs like Every Day is Yours To Win strike the more somber notes that R.E.M. have been known to use.

Ultimately, Collapse into Now is a return to form for the band and arguable their best work in a decade.

Last Night on Earth - Noah and the Whale
Genre Alternative Folk

On the other hand we have here a relatively unknown band that has received many plaudits from their take on the genre of vaguely folkish, heavily accented, brit-rock that is proving all the rage on these Isles of Britain.

I must say I've never been a fan of Noah and the Whale aside from the odd song here or there, but their newest album takes the band to a whole new level, and they deserve all the chart and critical success they have been receiving. Peppered with decent pop songs, the absolute highlights include the tempered and beautifully paced Wild Thing which channels Coldplay from back in their pre-stadium rock golden days, and the wonderfully playful Just Me Before We Met.

Certainly the best work the band has done so far, and some damn fine songs for your enjoyment.

Passive Me, Aggressive You - The Naked and Famous
Genre Dance-Rock

The Naked and Famous were one of the more hotly tipped debut acts of 2011 following the breakout success of their shimmering hit single Young Blood, but their final album suffers from inconsistency and a lack of musical identity.

Unfortunately most of the album opts for a distinct brand of amelodic punk pretension, which really isn't too pleasant on the ears even after multiple listens. However their is salvation with the odd gem contained within, notably the aforementioned Young Blood, but with honorable mention going to the 80s dream-pop tinged Eyes which gets better with each listen.

Unfortunately, two or three good songs out of thirteen does not make an album, no matter how good those songs are.

Submarine (Soundtrack) - Alex Turner
Genre Soundtrack

Lastly, we have the latest project from Arctic Monkeys and Last Shadow Puppets frontman Alex Turner. This solo work makes up the soundtrack of the excellent British comedy Submarine, and while I don't normally review soundtracks, the original music here more than warrants it.

As anyone who remembers Turner's briefly lived side project Last Shadow Puppets will tell you, this is a talented man, with so much more to offer than the often pedestrian fare from Arctic Monkeys. This newest work harkens back to the retro sound of Shadow Puppets and the results are equally tantalizing. The highlight here is the magnificent and reflective Stuck on the Puzzle, while the almost psychedelic string-laden Piledriver Waltz proves equally memorable.

"Rome - Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi" Album Review

2011-05-14T00:00:00.001+01:00

Genre Vintage
Label Parlophone
Producer Danger Mouse
Release Date May 16th

Grammy award winning producer Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) has come a long way from his controversial beginnings, first achieving notoriety for a series of bootleg releases distributed online such as the Grey Album, a mash up of the Beatles' White Album and Jay-Z's Black Album.

Since then Burton has made the most of his infamy to go legit, booking gigs producing albums for major artists like Gorillaz, and his own musical projects include such successes as Gnarls Barkley alongside Cee Lo Green and more recently Broken Bells alongside James Mercer of the Shins. His most recent album Dark Knight of the Soul featured contributions from the likes of Mercer, Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, the Flaming Lips and Iggy Pop.

What is perhaps most striking about the work Danger Mouse has released is the fluidity of genres and styles he has experimented with. From mash-up to rap, dance, folk, rock and indie pop, Burton is an artist who likes to test the boundaries of creativity. It's just as well, as his back catalogue is a veritable smorgasbord, each one a heartfelt dalliance from a man who truly loves and understands music in all its forms. The fact then that his new album Rome is the most surprising album of the year so far is, perhaps, not so surprising at all.

Rome is an adventurous album that is difficult to classify. Composed by Italian composer Daniele Luppi and featuring the vocal talents of Norah Jones and Jack White of the White Stripes, Rome draws heavily upon retro cinematic stylings from 60s and 70s Hollywood and particularly spaghetti westerns, with streaks of contemporary space-age pop.

The western elements are apparent from the off, owing to the extraordinary lengths Burton has gone to for authenticity's sake. Rome was recorded on vintage equipment, in the studios of Ennio Morricone (a frequent collaborator of Sergio Leone) and even features the original musicians from the soundtracks for the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and Once Upon a Time in the West. But at the same time, the soundscape is afforded an otherworldly aura trademarked by Burton's editing and electronic effects, a combination which somehow fits together better than anyone would ever have expected.

It follows then, that the album as a whole plays as much like a soundtrack as an album, and indeed at least half is instrumental, focusing on ambient evocations and mood setting. I suppose that given the subject matter it would make sense for dialogue to be as sparse here as it is in Once Upon a Time in the West, with Luppi's sublime instrumentals reminding us that the magic of films set in the old west lies as much in the majestic rolling landscapes as in the action. The few genuine pop songs serve largely to punctuate the atmosphere and do so quite successfully.

However it is not Jack White's pained ruminations, but rather the timeless nuances of Norah Jones' efforts that take centre-stage here. Two of her songs are absolute highlights of the album, Season's Trees softly glowing with Jones' sultry best, and the more upbeat Spanish guitar flavouredBlack.

As a production, Rome hits a very sweet note, bringing a modern twist to retro stylings, embracing nostalgia without becoming pastiche. If you're looking for the next radio friendly hit to stick on your iPod, this might not be what you're looking for, what you have here is one of the more satisfying and creative musical works of the year so far.

Must Listen
Her Hollow Ways (Interlude)

Season's Trees

Black

"Portal 2" Videogame Review

2011-04-25T00:00:00.001+01:00

Developed by Valve Corporation
Published by Valve Corporation
Genre First Person Puzzle-Platform
Platform Mac OSX, PC, Xbox 360, PS3

The original Portal was such a singular achievement, a perfect and unique distillation of gaming to the point of achieving "art" status, that many including yours truly felt that attempting to craft a worthy sequel was a pointless, and indeed foolhardy way to tamper with a classic. But still, this is Valve we're talking about, so let he who can name a single bad Valve game cast the first stone. Yeah that's what I thought.

That moment when a new Valve game finally reaches completion is very special indeed, as it should be considering the extended development times for which the company are infamous. This time, however, it was more a moment of frustration, starting with the bogus "get the game released early" ARG which turned out to be pretty much a scam to get players to buy more games from Steam, their online download service.

After this false start things didn't get any easier either thanks in part to the really quite perplexing system requirements of the game. First I attempted to get things running on my powerful desktop under Mac OS X, only to find that I had to upgrade my OS, twice, and only after this did Steam have the decency to tell me that the game was not compatible with my video card (though it was with some less powerful cards), and yet bizarrely the Windows version was had no problem. So naturally I decided to boot up in Windows and give this a shot there, only to find that the game crashes at the first loading screen, a common bug that one glance at the Steam online forums informed me had yet to be fixed by technical support. Finally I resorted to downloading the game onto my newer Mac laptop, where the game worked perfectly, albeit not on the top graphics settings of which my desktop was capable.

The temperamental system requirements are all the more bewildering considering the game is running on the nearly ten year old Source engine, which had previously been known for its flexibility and scalability on even low-end computers. By the time I finally sat down to play Portal 2 I was pretty much thinking "well this had better be the best god damn game ever, or I'm giving it a crappy review". Well Valve might just have gotten lucky.

Many people know the notorious story that Portal was only really a half developed game, bought and reworked from an indie creation by Valve in a very short space of time, basically as a proof of concept more than an actual fully fledged product. This is why it was initially released as part of the Orange bundle as opposed to as a stand alone product; no one had particularly high hopes for it. The rampant success which then followed caught everyone by surprise, most of all Valve.

For the sequel, the core concepts have been retained; the portal gun returns, along with its unique brand of clever physics-based puzzles; the brilliant and humorous script returns, along with the cryptic and mostly implicit backstory, and of course the central characters, notably GLaDOS, who is widely recognised as one of the best videogame villains of all time. For those of you who played the original and are wondering, I don't think I'd be giving too much away if I revealed that yes, we get another brilliant song at the end.

I suppose if I had to have one criticism of the game, it would be that surprise factor played such a big part in the success of the original game that any sequel was never going to have the same kind of mind blowing impact. This is especially the case with the distinctive humor and ending song, which came as such a delightful surprise before, and now is simply an expected part of the game.

That being said, the game has been improved in many ways. The puzzles are just as addictive and rewarding as before, and now we have the addition of jump-pads and various types of bouncy, slippery and portal-permitting goo which adds a whole new element to the fun. Gameplay-wise Portal 2 simply can not be faulted, the puzzles are even smarter than before and an absolute joy to play.

Music plays a big part in the game, from the aforementioned ending song to a special promotional track recorded by indie darlings the National, which bizarrely can only be heard in-game in a secret room. In addition, the player's actions are accentuated by some really quite fantastic dynamic music, playing different ditties depending on what gameplay mechanic is being used. Even the dialogue in the game has a musical element to it, particularly the auto-tuned talking turrets.

Everything about Portal 2 is bigger and more ambitious than the original in concept, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the considerably further fleshed out narrative. Portal 2 also has real character development, and a much fuller cast including the likes of GLaDOS, Wheatley (superbly voiced by the hilarious Stephen Merchant - The Office, Extras, Ricky Gervais show), and Cave Johnson (voiced by the always excellent J K Simmons). Without giving too much away, series heroin Chell is awoken by a bumbling robot sphere named Wheatley and the two attempt to escape, but shockingly not all goes according to plan when they come face to face with the brilliantly sarcastic, abuse hurling GLaDOS. As the game progresses, more and more of the backstory for the testing facility and its characters comes into view, and finally we begin to learn (mostly through cleverly implicit story telling) who the various characters really are, and what Aperture Science is all about as the game takes us on a tour of local history, and indeed there is even tacit acknowledgement of the series' connection to Valve's other popular IP Half Life.

Valve have always had a unique flair for story telling and world-building, and in this regard Portal 2 is their finest work to date. Everything from the visual art to the dynamic music, the story and the dialogue serves to absorb the player into their world, and it is a truly special and magical world that they have put together here. There is something really quite unforgettable about the way everything comes together, the Valve magic is well and truly alive. The stronger character work is also a big improvement, and the background plot is disseminated in such a clever bite size fashion that, a bit like the TV show LOST and its ilk, it inspires discussion and theories among its many fans. It's difficult not to really become attached to these characters and even slow down your gameplay just so you can hear all the dialogue. Even though Valve have resisted the urge to play up the quotes and memes set by the original, there is plenty of new material here to live long in the memory after the game is over.

That being said, some might argue that there was something special in the simplicity and brevity of the original game. Portal focused on the gameplay, with only a rudimentary plot tied together by fantastic humor and characters, and at only a few hours long it didn't overstay its welcome. At closer to 10 hours long, the sequel takes a risk in losing this aspect, and indeed the typically flawless pacing of the game does drag a bit toward the middle when much of the exposition takes place, something which is not at all like Valve.

Amazingly, this is just the single-player I've discussed so far. Portal 2 also comes with a fully realised co-op mode, featuring two all new, loveable and fully customisable robot characters, complete with their own unique plot line which runs parallel to the single-player game. The core gameplay is the same, but now with greater emphasis on teamwork, bringing a welcome new perspective to the gameplay. In effect, once you've completed the meaty single-player game, you'll find a whole other story to play through, as long as you can find a friend to join you.

So is Portal 2 one of the best games ever? The actual game is every bit as good as the original, in many ways better, and now comes with a full multiplayer co-op mode. Much depends on whether you appreciate the more detailed and ambitious narrative, or prefer the shorter original. In addition, I suspect that the element of surprise played a big part in the original's success, something which is mostly lost this time around.

Nevertheless, Portal 2 stands as one of the most finely honed examples of videogame around, and has set a tough precedent for 2011's other titles to follow. I meanwhile may have come down with a case of PPD.

Loves:
Clever puzzles
Engrossing and flawlessly presented game world
Brilliant humor
Co-op

Hates:
Lacks the shock and wow factor of the original
Deeper narrative ambitions may turn off some people

Weekly Round up - 23rd April 2011

2011-04-23T00:00:00.001+01:00

song of the week: "Stuck on the Puzzle" by "Alex Turner"

thing that makes me smile today: Finally taking a trip out to the English vineyards. Thanks to global warming they're slowly getting better and better.

pic of the day
IN:
Denbies
Chelsea
Portal 2

OUT:
Biddenden
Arsenal
Crysis 2

Nintendo 3DS Review

2011-04-18T00:00:00.001+01:00

Since time immemorial Nintendo has utterly dominated the handheld gaming market. With 150 million units shipped, Nintendo's most recent handheld, the DS, dwarfs the sales of every other portable electronic device. Now with increased competition from the likes of Apple and the indefatigable Sony, how can Nintendo stay maintain their position in the market? The answer, Nintendo execs hope, is the 3DS.

Ninendo boffins have resisted the urge to turn their signature handheld into a multi-purpose phone, mp3/video playing, all singing all dancing device. At launch the 3DS comes with a camera, some social features and, of course, the games. Internet features, an app store akin to DSiWare and potentially 3D film playback are on the way, but clearly I have been unable to review them.

Of course, the headline feature is the 3D display, and for those of you wondering whether or not it actually works, I am pleased to be able to tell you, yes it does.The 3DS screen uses some pretty clever technology which allows each eye to detect different pixels, allowing a 3D image to form. It's used in pretty much everything on the 3DS, from the games to the nifty main menu, to the camera.

The first thing users will see is this menu, which draws a great deal of inspiration from the Wii and its "channels", it is from here that one can change the main settings, calibrate the 3D and use any of the various "apps" available. Of course, I went straight for the 3D camera just to really put it through its paces.

There are actually two cameras on the 3DS, a front facing 2D camera, and a back facing 3D one, so make sure not to get the two confused like I did. The cameras themselves are not particularly high quality, but it doesn't especially matter since at the moment there is no way to get photos off the 3DS onto other devices, not that there's any reason you would want to unless you're blessed with various 3D displays. Nevertheless, the pictures one gets are actually in 3D, which is exceptionally cool for the first half hour or so.

A far more interesting use for the camera is the "augmented reality" game, which uses special cards that come with the system to add various 3D objects to the real world, as seen on screen via the 3D camera. This can be used simply for photos (one can pose with Mario, Link and various posable Nintendo characters or your custom Mii) or for games, which so far includes a target shooting game.

The 3DS also comes equipped with various games oriented around your Mii, which for the uninitiated is a custom avatar you can design to look like yourself or whoever you want. The twist is that the 3DS uses its wireless technology to interact with any nearby 3DSes, which allows Miis from different systems to visit one another, and otherwise expand the Mii adventure game. Naturally the 3DS also comes with a fully fledged messaging system.

These social features are pretty pointless at the moment however, unless you happen to be living next door to someone who has a 3DS. The chances of you coming within wireless range of someone on the street or public transport, while you happen to be playing your 3DS, for a long enough period of time for this to actually work, are very low at the moment. Of course it's early days, and with the 3DS currently flying off the shelves this may not always be the case. A greater concern is the battery life, which is pretty bad at only 3-5 hours, meaning you're not really going to carry it around with you all day anyway.

But of course this is a Nintendo system, which means the focus is always going to be on the games. It is a shame then that the console has launched with such a lacklustre lineup. You have Street Fighter IV, Pro Evolution Soccer for football fans, and Pilot Wings if you want to show off the 3D... but other than that it's slim pickings at the moment. The 3D is great on all accounts, particularly Pilot Wings, which essentially does for the 3DS what Wii Sports did for the Wii, but it's premature to pass judgement before the summer when the likes of Zelda, Star Fox and Mario Kart are all scheduled to release. As with any Nintendo console, success will ultimately lie with the in-house produced games.

For those of you who are interested in horsepower, the 3DS ranks on a par with the Wii; so more powerful than the PSP, iPhone and about on a par with the new iPad, but clearly not as hefty as the likes of Xbox 360 or PS3. That being said, Nintendo has never been a company that worries too much about such things.

So is it a risky strategy for Nintendo, paying only lip service to the increasing cry for multi-functional devices while concentrating predominantly on the games? Yes, but then the same can be said for the Wii, and that product went on to completely decimate the more versatile competition. Is the 3D a gimmick? A bit, especially with the cheap and cheerful games that are out now, essentially just for testing purposes. The real test will come when the AAA titles come out later this year.

So the conclusion for now: impressive hardware, bags of potential. But at the moment there are still a lot of features left incomplete, and a lack of killer games. If you've resisted the call of 3D games thus far, you can afford to wait until the summer by which point we will have a better idea of how it stacks up as a gaming device.

"Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes" Album Review

2011-04-13T00:00:00.005+01:00

Genre Folk, Baroque Pop
Label Sub Pop
Producer Phil Ek
Release Date May 3rd

There will always be talk of the perilous sophomore album. Many formidable bands have struggled under the weight of expectation that a massively successful debut can engender; do you attempt to recapture the magic of the first album and risk being branded a one-note wonder, or try to evolve the sound and risk alienating the fans? It's a delicate position to be in.

With their followup album Helplessness Blues, Fleet Foxes have attempted to harness the best of both worlds, striking a note that will be familiar to existing fans, while also treading new ground. Indeed, considering the number of musicians who have tried to copy the Fleet Foxes style since they first broke onto the scene in 2008, it is a tribute to the band's creativity that this album still sounds completely unique and distinct. Pretenders take note, the masters of the folk-rock revival have returned.

The opening track Montezuma establishes the thematic context that pervades the entire album; feelings of existential uncertainty and regret, of lapsed potential and that crunch moment where the young man must become an adult, and turn childhood ambition into reality.

Bedouin Dress laments the debt of youth at a moment when one seeks the enamor of a settled life, while struggling with wistful longing for the safety of childhood fantasy. Musically the track draws heavily on the nostalgic instrumentalisation of Simon & Garfunkel, nagging strings driving home the frustration of a narrator on the precipice.

We are given a dose of vintage Fleet Foxes in Battery Kinzie, a track full of pomp and newfound energy which changes the dynamic from despair and anxiety in the first third of the album to a sound more of confidence and determination. Lyrically the song focuses more specifically on the regret of past failed romances, to which the narrator responds with resolve to atone and make amends.

Next we have the title track, Helplessness Blues which appropriately epitomises the narrative thread of searching for identity and societal placement which weaves throughout the album, now with the redoubtable spirit and determination to address these challenges. The music harkens back to the rhythm and harmony laden grooves of White Winter hymnal from the band's debut album, with an additional coda serving as a dreamy reminder of deeper desires for peace and stability buried beneath this façade. This is certainly one of the finest moments the band has yet produced, and one of the best amalgamations of the best elements of folk and rock that I've heard.

The album relents somewhat in the final third, beginning with Someone You'd Admire, a melancholy track in which the narrator seems to admit defeat in his desire to become that which is described in the song title. Despite his best efforts, he is a slave to his true nature. Serene harmonies and the dulcet acoustic melody present a bittersweet note of futile acceptance through what some might expect to be a moment of despair.

What follows is one of the stronger moments on the album. The Shrine/An Argument is an 8 minute epic in which we follow our narrator as he sinks deeper and more openly into despair. The song is easily the most raw and dirty that we've heard from Fleet Foxes, with arguably the best vocal performance we've seen yet from vocalist Robin Pecknold.

The bleak Blue Spotted Tail is the most low-fi track on the album, featuring only the faintest of acoustic picks and soft vocals. Here a more at ease voice opines a brief tone of peace through acceptance.

We finish on a somewhat more optimistic and sweet note with closing song Grown Ocean. A suddenly more upbeat pace is offset by Beach Boys style backing vocals and hopeful musings of the future. Constantly we hear reference to the "dream", one which despite setback and bleak outlook, our narrator still believes he will one day achieve.

When Fleet Foxes' debut was released three years ago praise was near universal, with some even hailing them as the new Simon & Garfunkel. Well with this release those claims are only likely to increase in clamour.

Helplessness Blues shows exactly how a second album should be done, with the musical sensibilities and creative nuance retained from the debut, and imbued with a far more ambitious thematic and narrative context. The follow up improves upon the original in pretty much every way, and confirms that Fleet Foxes are here to stay.

Must Listen
Helplessness Blues

Someone You'd Admire

The Shrine/An Argument

Grown Ocean

Weekly Round up - 9th April 2011

2011-04-09T00:00:00.001+01:00

song of the week: "You Know What I mean" by "Cults"

thing that makes me smile today: Jon Stewart's tribute to Glenn Beck upon the cancellation of his TV show..

pic of the week
IN:
Glenda Jackson
2011
Sims Medieval

OUT:
Sarah Teather
1995
Sims 3

"Kiss Each Other Clean - Iron and Wine" Album Review

2011-04-08T00:00:00.001+01:00

Genre Alternative
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Brian Deck
Release Date Out Now

Kiss Each Other Clean is the most recent addition to Iron and Wine's increasingly adventurous catalogue of albums. Sam Beam continues the band's reinvention from placid acoustic folk to creative, ambitious soundscape, and the end product is the broadest and most accomplished work he's yet produced.

Despite the evolution, this is still the same Iron and Wine; the album flows with typically warm and delicate hues and the lingering vocals strike a sweet note. But the lush full band backing adds unexpected layers and offbeat filters to their characteristic sound, achieving a fresh tone that rightly straddles the boundary of their established range.

Nowhere is this more apparent than the first track with the simmering and soulful Walking Far From Home. This is probably the best example on the album of filter effects being applied, crafting what is a dreamy and serene tune.

One of the better songs on the album is Tree By the River, one of the poppier numbers the band has produced and undeniably catchy. A perfect summer song elicits a tangible glow and evokes notions of sleepy, youthful days in the park.

Softly spoken repose proceeds in Half Moon with the addition of doo-wop ladies and typically low-fi pep.

Godless Brother in Love, meanwhile, takes the album in a more fragile and pensive direction, returning to the milieu of sensitive folk that Iron and Wine is better known for, with a hint of Don McLean, pulling off one of Beam's finer vocal performances.

For all the quirky and interesting sounds the album often feels like an unfocused affair, mingling with shared thematics and experimenting with genres, but with little overall sense of unity. With the exception of the bookending first and last tracks, the entire core of the album could easily be shuffled at whim and no one would ever notice.

A fine album indeed, and with the summer months approaching, this will make a fine soundtrack for lounging in the sun.

Must Listen
Tree By the River

Walking Far From Home

Half Moon

Godless Brother In Love

How FIFA's Financial Fair Play rules will destroy domestic football

2011-04-05T00:00:00.001+01:00

European football is facing the very real prospect of financial crisis. In recent years the transfer market has been riddled with inflation and an explosion of unregulated deficit spending as the top football clubs compete with one another for dominance with little incentive for fiscal responsibility.

Clearly this system is unsustainable, and on the surface FIFA's decision to implement the so called "Financial Fair Play Rules" seems necessary and has garnered a great deal of support. But through presumably unintended bias, loopholes and a simple lack of foresight, this policy looks set to drastically change the landscape of European football, and further weaken the competitiveness of the domestic leagues.

Background:

The new set of rules are based around three main objectives, all with the goal of protecting the long-term viability of European club football:

To introduce more discipline and rationality in club football finances, combatting inflation
To limit the influence of private owners' wealth on club competitiveness, narrowing the artificial and "unfair" divide between top and bottom
To encourage long-term investments in the youth sector and infrastructure, as opposed to transfer fees

In short, the idea is that over a rolling three year period, clubs must keep their operating losses below a certain limit, or face penalties which potentially include expulsion from European competition like the Champions League. Even though these rules take effect next year, it won't be until 2014/15 that FIFA is able to start punishing those who don't keep within the rules, and FIFA is still not expected to take serious action until 2018 so long as clubs are able to show that their finances are moving in the right direction before then.

In addition, spending on stadium construction and youth development will be waived from the final "expenses" total as defined under the ruling, the intention being to incentivise football clubs to pursue youth and infrastructure development as a means to progression as opposed to transfer spending and wages. Ultimately it is considered that such investments would increase revenue at the club and promote self sufficiency in the long term.

The push to draw up these rules had come about as a result of the influx of private owners into club football in recent years, which has seen clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and others flourish an increasingly large amount of personal wealth on transfer fees, wages and other club expenditure. The effects of this were twofold: other big clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan had to step up their own expenditure in order to keep pace, and other less wealthy clubs simply have not been able to match up. After all, how could a small club dependent on basic sponsorship and TV money possibly hope to catch bigger teams like Chelsea, whose owner can simply afford to throw another hundred million on squad building at the end of the year?

FIFA deemed this new financial advantage to be an "unfair" abuse of the system, allowing the super-rich to buy their way to glory rather than earning it. Of course this has always been a problem with football going back a hundred years, but it seems as though the authorities have finally decided the scale of the matter is urgent enough to merit action.

The situation now sees players being transferred for fees approaching £100 million, wages exceeding £200,000 per week, and the majority of "elite" football clubs, if not all of them, operating deeply in debt. There is no doubt that action was necessary, but the reality is that such issues are inherent in any free-market system, and slippery enough that these new rules are unlikely to have any tangible effect in the long run, and in fact will probably only make matters worse. Here is why.

TV Money:

English club football has seen something of a renaissance over the past decade. Following heavy investment from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, other clubs have been forced to step up their own efforts and the overall quality of the league reached a higher level. Success in European competition has followed with no fewer than three English clubs (Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United) reaching the top spot in the European club rankings, two teams have won the Champions League, we've had an all English final, and perhaps most impressively of all, the 2008 competition featured three English clubs in the semi finals.

Champions League success is the holy grail of the football industry. It provides a windfall of cash from the big three of TV, gambling and sponsorship, both to the individual clubs and more pertinently to the domestic league as a whole. As a result, the English Premier League now enjoys roughly £800 million in TV money, more than any other league.

Recognising that the healthiest plan for longterm growth of the league is strong competition, the Premier League distributes all this TV money relatively evenly from top to bottom. At the top, a team like Manchester United will receive around £50 million, whereas a newly promoted club at the foot of the table will receive a healthy £30 million.

This gives the small clubs in the league a significant boost in their push for significance and is just one in a number of factors that has contributed to the overall strength of the Premier League today; now a far less predictable league than any other in Europe, in which quality is more evenly distributed. Indeed it is probably these massive strides that the English clubs have taken in the past decade that first prompted FIFA to map out these new rules in order to limit the influence of these wealthy private owners on European competition and prevent the dominance of any one nation's clubs.

The likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, for their part, responded by stepping up their own spending to even greater levels than we have seen in England, including one world record breaking £80 million signing and a propensity for splashing upwards of £50 million on a single player with alarming regularity. Thus started a transfer market arms race which has directly led to the current unsustainable situation. The problem, as is becoming apparent, is that these Spanish giants have no intention of curbing their spending in spite of the new rules.

You see, the Spanish league has opted for a very different model of distributing TV money, one which allows clubs to negotiate their own deals. Naturally, the outcome is that the big clubs receive considerably more broadcasting revenue than those at the foot of the table. Barcelona and Real Madrid each receive £150 million, together more than half of the league's total TV fund, more than ten times what the team at the bottom of the table receives, and three times what the top clubs in England get.

Think about this for a moment. Under these new Fair Play restrictions, a club will have one of two options: reduce spending, or increase revenue. FIFA's intention is that spending should be cut, but Spain's decision to pour more than half of its TV money into the top two clubs means that they simply don't have to. This £150 million is more than enough to cover even the most exorbitant of transfer spending, and confers a quite ridiculous advantage on those two clubs.

Consider the massive advantage the top Spanish teams would have over their European rivals under this system. Barcelona will receive three times as much TV money as Manchester United, an extra £100 million which can be spent on signing players while United are forced to tighten their belts. Consider that Chelsea FC suffered £50 million (by the definition of "expenses" in this ruling) in operating losses this season, an amount which would disqualify them from the Champions League in seven years time; that extra £100 million would mean the difference between European contention and exclusion from the world's biggest club football competition. Again, the advantage that this system would give the Spanish teams simply can not be overstated. As the rules stand, Spain will be in prime position to dominate club football for years to come.

The English Premier League would then be faced with a choice: lose all that juicy European money, or modify their own TV money distribution to favour the big teams. Sadly I fear it won't be a very hard decision for them to make, and one that will bring competitive imbalance on the pitch and financial tension off the pitch.

And here we have the ultimate failure of the Financial Fair Play rules. They won't curb wreckless spending by the elite clubs, they will simply provide incentives for the football leagues to compensate by distributing funds away from elsewhere and into the coffers of the bigger clubs, so that they can continue to compete on the lucrative world stage. The real losers of this debacle are the teams at the foot of the Premier League, who in a few years time may be earning less through TV money than teams in the Championship.

Deficit Cap:

Possibly the most bewildering of all the loop-holes in this new set of rules regards the deficit limit. The rule states that clubs may not exceed a deficit of £5 million over three years (exempting, as stated before, investment in infrastructure and youth), but the same rule also states that clubs are allowed to extend the deficit to a substantial £45 million in operating losses, so long as those additional losses can be paid for as equity by the club's shareholders. Yes, you read that correctly, clubs can exceed the deficit cap by an additional £40 million, so long as their owners are rich enough to pay for it out of their own pocket.

This after all is policy which ostensibly is based around the idea of reducing the "unfair" advantage that having a billionaire owner brings to a football club, and yet such clubs are allowed an additional £40 million in transfer spending over their less wealthy rivals. That's two Didier Drogbas worth.

There is no way to consider this anything other than an utter absurdity; rather than limiting the advantage that a wealthy club has over a smaller one, this rule formalises the dynamic, mandates it even! Far from discouraging clubs from selling out to rich, big spending private investors, this would seem to give them an even bigger incentive to do just that.

Legacy:

So what effect is this new set of rules likely to have on European football going forward? Let's make a few predictions. To begin with, focusing such tight regulation on one single financial aspect is clearly going to throw the football economy out of balance for a while.

There are three main sources for a club's income: broadcasting revenue, commercial revenue and matchday revenue. This new rule conspicuously focuses almost entirely on reducing transfer and wage expenditure, key avenues by which a club can make investments under the intention of increasing commercial revenue. Invariably the result of this is that clubs will need to turn to the other two areas in order to increase revenues.

As I've already discussed, the increasing dependence on TV revenue is the biggest issue. Either FIFA is going to have to come back and issue new rules addressing the disparity in TV revenue, or the Premier League is going to have little choice but to redistribute the bulk of its money to the big clubs in order to maintain competitiveness in Europe.

The effect this might have on European football is minimal, maintaining the status quo and making it even harder for smaller clubs to break into the elite. The ultimate outcome can only be a widening of the already detrimental gulf between top and bottom in the domestic leagues. A big victory for the most powerful football clubs, a big defeat for football in general.

In addition this result would confer a big advantage on clubs which already have a successful commercial operation, especially since investment in infrastructure and stadium building (the main contributors to matchday income) are exempt from the new restrictions.

This is great news for a team like Chelsea which from a financial perspective doesn't really need to invest anymore in players judging by their already reasonable commercial revenue, so long as their rivals are not able to either, while allowing them to invest in matchday revenue sources (currently their weakest area) without restraint. Conversely it's a massive blow to a team like Arsenal which is already earning as much as it possibly can be on matchday courtesy of their new stadium (indeed they are completely dependent on this income at the moment), while their commercial revenue frankly pales in comparison to the other big clubs, barely ranking in the top 20 in Europe. These new rules would leave them at a distinct disadvantage, with few options for increasing revenue in the short term.

More interesting though is the example of the German league. While not typically considered at the same level as the domestic leagues in Spain and England, the Germans are definitely on the rise in a big way, particularly recently following the continental success of Bayern Munich.

It will no doubt surprise most people to learn that Bayern Munich generate the most commercial revenue of any club in Europe, more than Real Madrid and Barcelona, more than Manchester United and Chelsea. This is a common theme in the German league in general, where teams on average have a considerably stronger stream of commercial revenue than their counterparts in England and Spain. The fact, then, that German clubs are not the richest in the world owes itself to weak matchday income. Clearly there is a lot of room for growth there, and now with these new rules, German clubs have effectively been given carte blanche to invest accordingly in this area. Don't be surprised if you see a new era of German club football over the next decade.

Ultimately, restricting the abuse of personal wealth is a difficult issue, one which far more competent governing bodies than FIFA have tried and failed to implement. Meddling of this nature was always going to have unexpected consequences, and unfortunately the Financial Fair Play Rules, as they currently stand, seem only to succeed in exacerbating the issue, shifting the burden onto the smaller clubs who can least afford it.

Weekly Round up - 2nd April 2011

2011-04-02T00:00:00.001+01:00

song of the week: "Tree By the River" by "Iron and Wine"

thing that makes me smile today: April fools day. The Guardian's live blog was awesome, but Virgin just about wins the day.

pic of the day
IN:
House of Commons
Deloitte
Andy Carroll

OUT:
House of Lords
PwC
Jermain Defoe

"Battle: Los Angeles" Film Review

2011-03-24T00:00:00.015Z

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman
Written by Christopher Bertolini
Starring Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez
Release date(s) Out Now
Running time 116 minutes

And so we have the first big flop of 2011. Battle: Los Angeles is an old school alien invasion movie that endeavours to blend the classic war movie and science fiction genres, but only manages to capture the worst elements of both.

Battle: Los Angeles was billed as an amalgamation of 2009's poignant District 9 with the cheesy jingoism of a Top Gun, but suffers from amateurish production and a script of pure cracker barrel chedder that would make Roland Emmerich blush.

When District 9 arrived in cinemas to critical acclaim many predicted that it would become something of a trend setter, spawning a new wave of intelligent sci-fi with a style of gritty realism. Those predictions appear to have been well founded, but I doubt anyone could have foreseen the precession of cynical imitators that have come and gone, each one convinced that sticking a shaky camera on any old drivel is enough to turn a film into a deep, thought-provoking masterpiece.

Well this film may be the worst culprit of this most obnoxious of conceit that I have yet encountered. Shaky cam is absolutely fine when it's in context and justified, but here it arbitrarily dominates every single scene: walking down the road? Shaky cam. Two marines playing golf? Shaky cam. Buying flowers at the supermarket? Oh you better believe there's shaky cam.

What's worse is that the technique isn't even well implemented, with the camera jumping about unnaturally like someone's having a seizure. Actually it rather makes me want to watch the behind the scenes footage just so I can see the cameraman wobbling all over the place like a jackass.

The effect in itself would already be fairly nauseating, but the death-metal music-video style of direction only compounds the problem. Every scene is is a mish mash of incoherently cut, split-second shots, shaking and awkwardly zooming (if you want a comparison, think Alien vs Predator 2). It makes for unpleasant, and frankly difficult watching. The intention was clearly to give the film a kinetic, action packed feel, it's just a shame they made such an uneven mess out of it.

Where the film stood an honest chance of redeeming itself was character. The focus is wisely placed on the marines rather than the conflict or the aliens, an idea that could have lent itself to some high quality Hurt Locker-esque war-time drama or even a commentary on real life events. As it happens, their time is mostly spent shouting hackneyed one liners back at each other and pulling their most "intense" face for the cameras. In fact after the opening twenty minutes I'm pretty sure there is only about a dozen or so lines of dialogue for the remainder of the film. Instead the "narrative" just ambles awkwardly from one incoherently shot action set piece to the next with little or no logical thread running between them.

The characters themselves are not badly acted. Aaron Eckhart is a decent enough actor, and I can honestly say that Michelle Rodriguez performs the standard "Michelle Rodriguez" role better than any other actor. The trouble is that there is nothing here for them to work with. The opening exposition segment of the film hints at some potential for development or interpersonal relationships, and then the script promptly seems to forget all about it when the action starts. Rodriguez in particular gets surprisingly little screen time... I think... With the way the film is shot it's often pretty hard to tell who exactly is on screen at any one time.

It seems odd for me to try and critique the narrative or setting after I've already mentioned that there isn't much of one in this film, but anyway. The title says "Battle: Los Angeles" and yet the chosen locale is sadly squandered, with very little sense of place. They could switch Los Angeles with any other city in the world and I don't think a single frame in the movie would have to be changed.

As for the aliens themselves, it doesn't bother me so much that nothing is ever explained about them. What is a problem, however, is just how faceless and unremarkable they are. There is none of the awe or menace that one gets from a film like Independence Day, and as a result it's hard to get caught up in the struggle or really care when the aliens eventually lose. There is one scene in particular where they capture and torture an alien until they find out how to kill him (surprisingly stabbing him a few dozen times seems to do the trick), and if anything I end up feeling more sorry for the alien. On the plus side at least he got to leave the film before I did.

At the very least one would expect that this genre could yield way to some entertainingly cheesy US Army (oo-rah) bravura that typically turns an otherwise bad movie into a decent popcorn stuffer. But they couldn't even get that right. The dialogue here tragically lands on the wrong side of too much and makes the likes of 2012 and Top Gun look like Dostoyevsky, cramming as many clichés as possible into each exchange. Some scenes honestly look like a Seth Macfarlane parody.

It could have been a good film, it could have at least been a fun film. It's neither.

"Loves":
Decent special effects
Opening sequence sets the scenes for some mindless fun

Hates:
That "fun" never materialises
Messy production
Poor script

Sorry, but Libya 2011 is no Iraq 2003

2011-03-22T00:00:00.005Z

It was a weekend of sensationalist headlines and propaganda as operation Odyssey Dawn got underway in Libya. The push for a no-fly zone had been spearheaded by Great Britain and France for weeks, but it was only once a successful UN vote eased the United States off the fence that the idea finally found some traction. No doubt over the coming days and weeks a common theme will be the question of whether this conflict is the new Iraq war, and particularly the ramifications that concept may hold for the Nobel Peace prize winning President Obama. But just how apt is this comparison?

First the similarities that early adopters have already begun to trumpet; both Iraq and Libya are run by cruel and brutal dictators and are in possession of great quantities of oil, both are muslim countries. However this is pretty much as far as it goes, and as you can see, so far so superficial.

The obvious concern is that the coalition of Western powers may be walking into yet another quagmire, one that will create massive deficits, cost lives, and further strain relations between them and the Muslim world. This is particularly an issue of concern for Obama who has made reaching out to these formally unfavourable nations a cornerstone of his foreign policy with marked success, one might worry that this single act will jeopardise all that progress.

But these comparisons are, as I said, superficial at best, and the worries are premature. There is a great deal of difference between this conflict and the Iraq war that plunged a decade of American foreign policy into ruin.

First and foremost there is the fact that technically speaking this is not even a war yet. There are no ground troops committed, and no offensive action permitted against Gaddafi. Right now the only aims of the operation are to defend the Libyan civilians by disabling Gaddafi's attack forces. Far from Iraq's full scale invasion, this operation merely oversees aerial support. In this regard the conflict has a good deal more in common with Bill Clinton's cautious brand of foreign policy from the 1990s, which saw him launch similar bombardments on Iraq, Yugoslavia, Sudan and others, while remaining hesitant to commit America to long term conflicts. Few people would compare those events with what we saw under the Bush administration, as they seem so quick to do with this most recent conflict.

Further more, the situation in the region could not be more different than that which was seen in Iraq eight years ago. Libya right now is in a state of open civil war, with thousands dead, and conflict raging. The situation has become so dire that the Libyan people have actually requested intervention from the west. As Gaddafi continues to move into Benghazi and beyond, there is the very real risk that thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Libyan civilians could be killed. This threat, simply put, did not exist with Iraq. That nation was relatively stable, and there was no clear reason to go to war, as evidenced by the Bush administration's constant jumping jacks between different excuses (WMDs? Terrorists? Humanitarian crisis? Oil? Pick your flavour of the week).

Perhaps most important is the difference in implementation between conflicts. The proper channels have been pursued in approving this operation cleanly and legally through the United Nations, something which was deemed to be an unnecessary waste of time for the Iraq War. As a result, the conflict is progressing multilaterally with the support of the UN, the international community, and most crucially the Arab nations in the region. Contrast this with Bush's illegally waged, unilateral war where he struggled to scrounge together any form of coalition to support him and went into Iraq against the will of the muslim world. From day one it was a catastrophe and one which destabilised international relations, particularly western/Arab relations, for a decade. Indeed, this time the United States even seems to be marginalising its role in the conflict, allowing Great Britain and France to take charge.

This radically different approach makes all the difference. The support of muslim nations will make it harder for Gaddafi's propaganda machine to demonise the Western interlopers, and the multinational support will bear the brunt and culpability of the conflict together, rather than making this "America's war" as was the case with Iraq. Add to this the lack of committed ground forces, and it is clear that this is a very different kind of conflict to Iraq, and one which carries far less risk.

The perception of the Iraq war was that the Bush administration fully and unilaterally invaded the muslim world, with scant multinational support, no legal justification, and a shaky moral standing. By contrast operation Odyssey Dawn is legal, backed by the international community, and only features aerial support missions. The former set international relations back several decades, the latter seems to be appropriately working within them. I suspect that it has been so long since we've seen a US President pursuing rational foreign policy that the gut reaction may be to compare this conflict to Bush's wars, but in reality the operation has far more in common with Clintonian foreign policy. We would all do well to maintain some perspective.

"The King of Limbs - Radiohead" Album Review

2011-03-15T00:00:00.002Z

Genre Alternative
Label Self-released
Producer Nigel Godrich
Release Date 28th March (iTunes and stores), Out Now (Radiohead website)

Thom Yorke and his cohorts have returned with their long awaited follow up to 2007's critically acclaimed In Rainbows, but anyone expecting more of the same will go away bitterly disappointed.

More Kid A than Ok Computer, this latest offering takes a very deliberate step away from some of the band's more radio friendly releases, and taps into the Radiohead propensity for dark and broody experimentation. As a result, fan reaction has been somewhat mixed; praised by some as their finest work to date, dismissed by others as impenetrable and self indulgent.

The final product is work of a much lower tone and intensity, free of the kind of balladry that typifies their biggest hits. But low-key though it is, there is nuance here to be appreciated if one attempts to do so. This is certainly an album that requires multiple listens before an informed opinion can be reached. Fortunately, repeated listening is an easy challenge, as running just barely half an hour long this is also Radiohead's shortest album to date.

While the quality varies, the standout track has to be Codex, a hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric piece that will linger long in the memory. Elsewhere Little by little sees Yorke at his most angsty, while Give up the Ghost is a lush acoustic sonnet. Beyond these songs however, it is hard to find much else of note, the pitfalls of releasing such a small LP.

Whichever way you choose to look at this album, Radiohead at their worst are rarely anything other than interesting. The issue I have is that the King of Limbs never achieves or even seems to reach for the level of greatness that we have come to expect from the band. Especially when you consider the four year gap between albums, one can't help but be a little disappointed that we only have 8 tracks here, perfectly decent songs, of which few are particularly memorable.

Must Listen
Codex

Give up the Ghost

Little by Little

"Frankenstein" Theatre Review

2011-03-11T00:00:00.000Z

Directed by Danny Boyle
Written by Nick Dear, Mary Shelley (novel)
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Jonny Lee Miller
Theatre National Theatre

Needless to say, I was excited when I first heard that Danny Boyle, who has cemented a reputation as one of the best film makers of his generation, was returning to his roots in the theatre. At the same time this is a director whose films often shine through their clever use of technology and editing, techniques which are not available on the stage. I was looking forward to seeing how Boyle would cope with a much more traditional medium.

Joining Boyle is previous collaborator Jonny Lee Miller, as well as up and coming star Benedict Cumberbatch. The two stars alternate roles every night between Dr. Frankenstein and his creation, the Creature, with the former thespian bringing to life the more emotional and animalistic side of the two characters while Cumberbatch revels in the colder, intellectual aspects. Both are superb.

However, this is not Shelley's Frankenstein. Here the focus is much more on the Creature, and less on Frankenstein himself as most dramatisations of the literature tend to be. Thematically then there is a shift from a tale of hubris and callousness to one of sorrow and tragic irony. The focus is much more on the duality of the two central characters, as underlined by the nightly role reversal between the two actors.

My first impressions upon entering the theatre were positive. The set design was intricate and creative, and reached out into the audience with surfaces coated in a skin-like bandage, and a bell in the centre of the room from which a heavy rope hung down into the aisle to be pulled by audience members.

The production itself starts with panache, as Mary Shelley's classic creature bursts forth out of artificial womb stark naked, writhing in agony for several minutes as he learns to stand and walk. Boyle-esque flourishes fill the excellent first half of the evening, lending the proceedings a helping of the director's unmistakably unique brand of magic. Especially notable is a complex array of ceiling lights which fizzes to life in order to emphasise the action on stage, and the impressive mechanical representation of a train which spews steam and noise to startling effect.

The stylistic peak is reached in an early scene where the Creature explores the world around him for the first time, birds shoot out of tree trunks as the sunrise arcs across the back of the stage; the lighting and staging is absolutely divine. In addition, each scene is sublimely complemented by the fine musical work of electronic band underworld.

But this really is a play of two distinct halves. The first is simply a spectacular sensory feast for the audience, focusing entirely on the Creature as he finds his feet in the world. Later on when the focus shifts over to Dr. Frankenstein, the script starts to plod, and the innovative staging suddenly takes a turn for the more conventional. Indeed perhaps there is a narrative justification for this, as the more uplifting first half is about learning and enlightenment of a naive and innocent Creature who gradually sees the darkness in the world, while the frostier second half switches to a jaded and distant Dr. Frankenstein. For those in the audience who find themselves as blown away by the opening as I was, the later change in pace may come as a let down.

Despite this, I was not disappointed by my night out, and frankly the entire event is so finely produced, staged and acted (by the two stars anyway- the supporting cast is actually a bit weak) that I can't see how anyone will be. Danny Boyle's latest piece of brilliance is one of the best theatrical productions I've seen in a long time, and possibly the best you will see all year.

Weekly Round up - 26th February 2011

2011-02-26T00:00:00.000Z

song of the week: "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots: Part 1" by "The Flaming Lips"

thing that makes me smile today: Waking up, sans hangover thanks to the 2-pint water trick.

pic of the day
IN:
Tower Hill
Champions League
Beady Eye

OUT:
Liverpool St
FA Cup
Oasis

The 83rd Academy Awards Preview

2011-02-24T00:00:00.002Z

This Sunday, Hollywood's famous Kodak Theatre will once again play host to the biggest day on the cinema calendar, the Oscars. People all over the world will tune in for that most tragically popular of pastimes, celebrity watching, followed by four hours of forced laughs and real tears. This year the hosts will be James Franco, who is himself up for a best actor nomination, and Anne Hathaway.

As always, my loyal readers, I present to you some predictions for the big night. Some of you may not have seen the big films this year, others may not be familiar with the latest hype tearing through tinseltown; consider the following a crib sheet for what lies ahead this weekend, and perhaps even a sneak peek at who might just be walking away with the big prize.

Best Picture

Nominations:

127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are Alright
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Who Could Win:
Once again I will bemoan the recently changed format for this award which sees the number of nominations increased from 5 to 10; ostensibly intended to avoid offending film makers, all that it really accomplishes is the cheapening of a best picture nomination.
This year the race is essentially between two films. If you had asked me two months ago who would win, I would have told you the Social Network, hands down. The film's buzz was through the roof, receiving universal acclaim, and given its topical nature and fresh approach to filmmaking it was highly expected to win favor from an Academy that is eager to shake its fusty old image. In fact the film had already done so with the early awards, sweeping both the Los Angeles and New York film critics' awards. Meanwhile The King's Speech was suffering from severe image issues, and a smear campaign appeared to be afoot regarding the script's accuracy with regards to the Royal Monarchy's prewar views on Nazi Germany, an issue which carries a lot of weight in Hollywood of all places.
However this has all changed in recent weeks, following the King's Speech winning the Directors' Guild award, typically seen as a reliable barometer for the Oscars. All of a sudden the King's Speech has an air of inevitability about it, an unstoppable force that has to be considered the favorite going into this weekend.

Winner:
The King's Speech

Best Director

Nominations:

Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan
Ethan Coen and Joel Coen - True Grit
David Fincher - The Social Network
Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
David O. Russell – The Fighter

Who Could Win:
Typically you will find that the best picture and best director awards go hand in hand. For this reason we have to consider Tom Hooper, though I would be surprised if he won it. In all honesty he's a bit green for such an honor and though the King's Speech is a fine movie, the direction itself is not what stands out. Personally I would love to see Darren Aronofsky pick up his first Academy Award, but I feel his movie Black Swan will be considered "too weird" to win. My pick for this year's prize has to be David Fincher. If Social Network wins best picture this will surely be a formality but even if it does not, Fincher has drawn enough kudos for his work to be considered a narrow favorite here.

Winner:
David Fincher

Best Actor

Nominations:

Javier Bardem – Biutiful as Uxbal
Jeff Bridges – True Grit as Rooster Cogburn
Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network as Mark Zuckerberg
Colin Firth – The King's Speech as Prince Albert / King George VI
James Franco – 127 Hours as Aron Ralston

Who Could Win:
Probably the easiest one to call, I don't think there is a single person in Hollywood who is in doubt over who will win this award. One must feel bad for James Franco, as his tour de force performance could so easily have won in another year, but this time around the prize will definitely go to Colin Firth. Having come so close last year only to lose out to Jeff Bridges, there has been something of a sense of inevitability about this one since long before anyone had even seen the King's Speech, and Firth did not disappoint, turning in a masterful performance that will almost certainly, and deservedly, win him the ultimate prize for acting at last.

Winner:
Colin Firth

Best Actress

Nominations:

Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right as Nic
Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole as Becca Corbett
Jennifer Lawrence – Winter's Bone as Ree Dolly
Natalie Portman – Black Swan as Nina Sayers
Michelle Williams – Blue Valentine as Cindy

Who Could Win:
While a lot of positive things have been said about Annette Bening, this one too has a pretty clear favorite. Natalie Portman has wowed audiences with her raw and disturbing portrayal of a ballerina who figuratively and emotionally loses herself in her work. Pretty much a sure thing.

Winner:
Natalie Portman.

Best Supporting Actor

Nominations:

Christian Bale – The Fighter as Dicky Eklund
John Hawkes – Winter's Bone as Teardrop
Jeremy Renner – The Town as James "Gem" Coughlin
Mark Ruffalo – The Kids Are All Right as Paul
Geoffrey Rush – The King's Speech as Lionel Logue

Who Could Win:
Geoffrey Rush is an actor of the absolute highest quality, and in a year where the King's Speech could well sweep the Oscars it is a distinct possibility that he could ride this wave to his second Academy Award. My pick, though, has to be Christian Bale, whose performance as the washed up, drug addicted ex-boxer Eklund was absolutely unforgettable and pitch perfect from the very first scene.

Winner:
Christian Bale

Best Supporting Actress

Nominations:

Amy Adams – The Fighter as Charlene Fleming
Helena Bonham Carter – The King's Speech as Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon / Queen Elizabeth
Melissa Leo – The Fighter as Alice Ward
Hailee Steinfeld – True Grit as Mattie Ross
Jacki Weaver – Animal Kingdom as Janine "Smurf" Cody

Who Could Win:
Finally a contest that's a little more difficult to predict. There's a lot of hype surrounding 14 year old Hailee Steinfeld, but I suspect it is mostly wishful thinking, as often happens with Oscar nominated child actors. Helena Bonham Carter is another good shout, especially if the King's Speech has a good night, but my crystal ball is telling me that she will go home empty handed. Melissa Leo gets my pick, with the veteran actress in fine form in the Fighter.

Who Will Win:
Melissa Leo

Best Original Screenplay

Nominations:

Another Year – Mike Leigh
The Fighter – Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson
Inception – Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right – Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg
The King's Speech – David Seidler

Who Could Win:
Good marketing will win this one for the King's Speech, a film that has been pitched time and time again for years until eventually landing this year.

Winner:
The King's Speech

Best Adapted Screenplay

Nominations:

127 Hours – Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy from Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
The Social Network – Aaron Sorkin from The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich
Toy Story 3 – Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Lee Unkrich; characters based on Toy Story and Toy Story 2
True Grit – Ethan Coen and Joel Coen from True Grit by Charles Portis
Winter's Bone – Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini from Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

Who Could Win:
I would love to see 127 Hours win this one, a delightfully underrated film whose screenplay accomplishes the impressive task of taking two hours of one person talking to himself and turn it into something truly compelling. That being, said the clear winner here is the Social Network's excellent script by Aaron Sorkin. It is convenient that the Oscars' two big favorites have landed in different screenplay categories, and I would bet good money that they will both win, one serving as an indicator of a victorious wave to come, the other as consolation.

Winner:
The Social Network

Various Technical Awards:
Expect Inception to do very well in these categories, the winner of the best picture will doubtless pick up a few as well. Personally I hope to see 127 hours do well here, which to my mind was a pretty much flawless production with regards to technical aspects.

So there you have it, my picks for the year. Enjoy the Oscars this weekend, and when the results go exactly as I've predicted, remember that you heard it here first!

"Different Gear, Still Speeding - Beady Eye" Album Review

2011-02-22T00:00:00.003Z

Genre Rock
Label Beady Eye Records
Producer Steve Lillywhite
Release Date 28th February

Liam Gallagher is the first comeback kid of 2011. Best known for his work as the frontman of 90s brit-pop sensation Oasis, most fans will nevertheless tell you that sibling Noel was the brains behind the majority of the band's hits, while Liam's role was to provide the charisma.

That being the case it may come as a surprise that this debut album from Liam's new band is actually quite good. Sometimes it takes a shock to the system to revitalise an artist, and the unexpected collapse of Oasis in 2009 certainly seems to have done the trick here.

While the music here never hits the heights of early Oasis and the likes of Wonderwall or Don't Look Back in Anger, it far exceeds the stagnant plod of their recent work. At it's best, Different Gear, Still Speeding is fresh and creatively diverse, while exhibiting a far greater level of nuance than anything we've seen from Liam in the past ten years.

The music beats with the telltale influence of classic masters such as the Who, the Rolling Stones and of course Liam's favorite inspiration the Beatles. But perhaps what impresses most about this latest work is his willingness to break away from the archetypes of which Liam has come to be expected, sometimes to the point of outcry among his fans as was the case with the high tempo debut single Bring the Light, which seamlessly blends an unexpected jaunty fifties piano riff with more modern pop sensibilities.

We catch a peek of Liam's gentler side with the excellently chilled For Anyone. Serving as a bridge between the boisterous, hard-rocking first half of the album and the more melodic second, the song channels the instantly catchy and light-hearted pop of the Beatles with staccato acoustic chords, playful bass line and airy vocals.

Wigwam, meanwhile, is pure John Lennon. One of the more musically evocative songs Liam has written, this serves as a highlight of the album. The music builds gently during the first half of the track, but gives little hint of the cathartic climax which awaits as Liam seems to vent the sum of recent struggles and shows us a falsetto which I for one didn't know he had in him.

Three Ring Circus takes us once again in a completely different direction, with a bluesy number that oozes classic rock, the undoubted pinnacle of the album follows with The Beat Goes On. Another unashamedly Beatles-inspired track, by all accounts they may just have perfected the sound here. Certainly the best song on the album, probably the best to come from a Gallagher since Don't Look Back in Anger.

The album finishes with another strong number in The Morning Son, a soulful and epic track that begins with faint acoustic murmurs but slowly progresses into a full on psychedelic belter. A perfect closer.

If this first effort is anything to go by, Liam Gallagher is certainly back in the limelight of the music scene after many years in the dark. The varied talents on show here bode well for the future of this latest musical project, and certainly come together in one of the stronger albums yet released in 2011.

Must Listen
The Beat Goes On

Wigwam
No link yet.

Bring the Light

The Morning Son

Weekly Round up - 12th February 2011

2011-02-12T00:43:00.003Z

song of the week: "Harvest Moon" by "Neil Young"

thing that makes me smile today: Working in the Houses of Parliament.

pic of the day
IN:
House of Commons
Neil Young
Gareth Bale

OUT:
House of Representatives
Ink Spots
Luka Modric

"The Heretic" Advance Theatre Review

2011-02-09T00:36:00.006Z

Directed by Jeremy Herrin
Written by Richard Bean
Starring Juliet Stevenson, James Fleet, Johnny Flynn
Theatre Royal Court Theatre

Few British playwrights are considered more provocative right now than Richard Bean, who has seemingly built a career on mingling adroit social comedy with slightly more tone deaf political sensationalism. I recently had the pleasure of attending one of the preview performances of his latest play the Heretic, his return to the Royal Court Theatre which has been billed as another "daring" thought provoker designed to make the audience question the accepted norm of contemporary science.

Juliet Stevenson plays an Earth Sciences professor at Yorkshire university where she is ostracized and ridiculed for her controversial stance on climate change, at odds with the established wisdom of anthropogenic mechanism. She paints herself as an intellectual agnostic, drawing contrasts between science and faith while dismissing her detractors as zealots who have more in common with those who once blindly believed in the "flat Earth" model while scoffing at the unconventional hypotheses of Galileo.

Her ideals eventually land her on the receiving end of death threats from environmental activists and a suspension from the university at the hands of her boss and former beau, played by James Fleet. Elsewhere Stevenson's estranged daughter falls in love with a new student, played by singer/songwriter Johnny Flynn, two characters whose thematic purpose in this play seems to be little more than to serve as caricatures of today's impressionable and impulsive youth.

While I don't think a theatre review is the place to discuss climate science, ultimately I don't think it will matter as this play is unlikely to stir up much debate or controversy despite its best efforts. It's pretty clear that in researching this project Bean has sadly emerged much more muddled than he began.

I may disagree with his politics, or find myself bemused by his tenuous historical parallels, but there is no doubt that his underlying message is an important one: the need for distinguishing between science and faith, and the pitfalls of blindly accepting convention as opposed to always asking questions. The problem is that his message here is simply not particularly well thought out.

His observations are often hollow and superficial, with the implication being that his character's climate denial hypothesis is somehow made more credible by the fact that it is considered outside the mainstream. Presumably that would put the likes of David Icke or the "hollow earth theory" on a similarly valid footing. Unfortunately this seems to be as far as Bean takes his premise; needless to say it is hardly compelling food for thought for the audience to mull over.

This is my only criticism of this production, but it is a pretty major one; it tries so hard to create controversy without putting much thought into its conceit. This play is desperate to be a caustic political commentary, and it sadly fails in this regard.

In other ways the play is more successful. The dialogue is sharp and often hilarious and the comedic delivery is pretty much pitch perfect from its talented cast. If nothing else, you will have a good laugh and an enjoyable two and a half hours.

Bean attempts to explore the relationships of his characters; the mother daughter relationship, Stevenson's fizzled romance with Fleet's character, and young love. Often comparisons are drawn between these relationships and the play's larger themes, for example a series of photos showing Stevenson's daughter growing up alongside a tree that represents the body of her prized research, the two of which almost share the same fate as the scenes progress.

By this fashion Bean links the story's various conflicts, academic, political and personal but never seems confident enough in any of them to explore much further than is superficially necessary. As far as satire goes, the end result is more Richard Curtis than Mark Twain.

Even though so far I have been mostly negative about this production I have to say I did enjoy it. It's never as sharp or as poignant as it so desperately wants to be, but it is a witty and enjoyable night out, well acted and produced. Of course, this being a preview showing there were clearly a few wrinkles still to iron out, but I suspect the final product will be a lot smoother by next week when doors open to the general public.

Weekly Round up - 5th February 2011

2011-02-05T00:00:00.001Z

song of the week: "Time to Wander" by "Gypsy & the Cat"

thing that makes me smile today: Finding work to keep myself busy for a few months.

pic of the day
IN:
Fernando Torres
Parliament
Fair Play

OUT:
Andy Carroll
Congress
Playing Fair

"Gilgamesh - Gypsy & the Cat" Album Review

2011-01-27T00:00:00.003Z

Genre Indie electro-pop
Label RCA Sony
Producer Dave Fridmann
Release Date TBA (US)

Lately the Australasia music scene has become one of the hottest in the world, with bands like Empire of the Sun, Cut Copy and the Temper Trap achieving major worldwide success, and some of the hottest upcoming artists hailing from the region.

The newest and possibly one of the most promising examples is Gypsy & the Cat, a band from Melbourne consisting of DJs Xavier Bacash and Lionel Towers. Preaching a similar brand of energised electro-pop that has become so fashionable among their ilk, Gypsy has already achieved quite considerable recognition in their homeland in the past year and it is considered to be only a matter of time before they break through elsewhere.

While it does a disservice to try to describe a band's sound through simile, try to picture an amalgamation of the serene melodic stylings of the Temper Trap and the delirious euphoria of Passion Pit, with a twist of 80s as garnish. The result is an extremely strong debut effort, ethereal and refreshing to listen to and brimming with quality. It's easy to listen to and unlike much of the genre it's not at all on the nose, overbearing or in your face, it's just a really good listen. Meanwhile producer Dave Fridmann, who has previously worked with the likes of MGMT, Muse and Mogwai brings a level of polish and consistency that most debut albums find elusive.

The first song Time to Wander leaps out immediately with airy synth, dreamy Cocteau Twins-like vocals and a spacious hook. The dance drums and retro vibe are easily recognisable, easily infectious, and a top notch start to the album.

Any good band knows to take things up a notch with the album's second track, this album follows with Gypsy & the Cat's biggest single to date The Piper's Song. An uplifting wall of indie pop, replete with 70s harmonies. This isn't a lyrical masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination but it is a finely crafted pop song, the kind that is put together by artists who truly understand why a melody stays in your head. With a drumbeat and bass line in tandem with countermelodies of the chorus, and a catchy effervescence that's difficult not to dance to, there is little doubt that the song succeeds.

We continue with the funky and danceable Jona Vark which could easily pass for a lost Empire of the Sun track, followed by the album's namesakeGilgamesh which is a decent slice of 80s nostalgia.

Sight of a Tear takes the tone down a bit and rounds off a strong first half of the album with its smooth vocals and infectious groove. Synth piano and clever modulation between high and mid pitch vocals make the chorus of this song one of the musically strongest moments of the album.

A more pedestrian second half is highlighted nonetheless by catchy number Breakaway, downbeat and soulful tune Watching me, Watching you, and most significantly by the infectious Beach Boys-infused track Running Romeo. The album finishes with an acoustic/folk departure from the norm in A Perfect 2.

Gilgamesh might not be lyrically the best album you will hear this year, but the music and vocals are consistently excellent with some memorable songs and unusually tight production for a debut effort. In the end what we have here is the first must buy album of 2011, and an early serious contender for the best debut band of the year.

Must Listen
Time to Wander

The Piper's Song

Sight of a Tear

Gilgamesh
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