The Brown Note Movie Review

Queens of the Stone Age - In Times New Roman (2023) Album Review

The 8th album from arguably the best (last?) rock band on on Earth, is still good but with less reason to be than their previous albums, other than adding another three or four great QOTSA tracks to their live set.

Arthur Russell - Picture Of Bunny Rabbit (2023) Album Review

The universal acclaim for this collection of outtakes from the esteemed New York music icon, is a perfect example of the emperors new clothes. A series of sketches, often so slight, you wonder if the artist would be furious they were even released. Definitely not worth having.

Gone But Forgotten: Hamburger Hill (1987) Film Review

My series on mainly albums but also films, that were either denied classic status on release or have been forgotten about since - Hamburger Hill is both. Derided a little on release as a poor cousin of the defining Platoon and a lower rent Full Metal Jacket, this sometimes trite Vietnam film builds up to an incredible climax, redolent of the harrowing intensity of Come and See, far more than Saving Private Ryan.

Barbie (2023) Film Review

You may have heard of it. BarbieOpp arrives at a unique crossroads in movie history - with regards to the hegemony of comic book super-hero franchises and people even going to the cinema at all - but it is a good film, and remarkably even handed in its view of the sexes. The best of it doesn't seem to celebrated enough - a hugely clever screenplay and a superb Margot Robbie. Its only flaws are being little flat and dragging here and there but overall a very good - if not great great - cinematic milestone that will earn a billion dollars.

Sigur Rós - Átta (2023) Album Review

The last thing I wanted from the Icelandic post-rock titans was an orchestral album, but I was wrong. Alongside Suns Signature's release last year, one of the two most beautiful albums in recent years, an immersive, soothing balm for troubled times. Immaculately sequenced, constantly ebbing and flowing, one of the years finest albums and their best since 2007's Takk.

King Krule Space Heavy (2023) Album Review

Another fine, though often very low key album in the indicative style, all of his own, from Archy Marshall. Though still yet to reach the incredible peak of 2017's The Ooz.

Killer Mike - Michael (2023) Album

The Run The Jewels alumni delivers his first solo project since 2012's RTJ launching R.A.P. Music, which contained my track of the year Reagan. Having followed him ever since, this project lacks the widescreen dynamism and variety, lyrically and sonically of the RTJ albums, ironic, given this uses multiple producers and guest artists.

Scream VI (2023) Movie Review

The latest Scream film has some massive problems. Like its predecessor, it's so heavy handed with the over done self-awareness it becomes extremely tiresome. Yet despite continually talking about slasher movie stereotypes, it also embodies the most stupid ones, in a manner I found grating.

Extraction 2 (2023) Movie Review

I liked the first in this John Wick adjacent, also stunt-man directed, saga a great deal, but everything about the sequel seems slightly better, classier and more cohesive. The prison break is a long form action sequence for the ages.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Movie Review

After avoiding this like the plague, I found myself enjoying it about three times more than I expected and about ten times more than Avatar 2 - in comparison with that other billion dollar success, also made for twelve-year old boys, the excited voice cast, brevity, fun and visuals, wipe the floor with Cameron's interminable nightmare of dullness. Perhaps the LEAST written film in history - yet this isn't a hindrance.