The Brown Note Movie Review

Being Dead - Eels (2024) Album Review

I've nothing but respect for the band's talent but I've rarely heard an album more self-sabotaged than this (despite rave reviews). Almost every song - many of which are very decent - have a math-rock violent interlude half way through, that is often annoyingly goofy and usually stops everything they've built up to that point dead. This makes it all a hard listen, I'd struggle to go back to.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) Film Review

Sometimes in the relentless recycle and repackage world that is modern Hollywood, timing can be everything. No one asked for a sequel to director Tim Burton's breakout 1988 film but it was a hugely welcome return anyway. There's a lot of love for re-pairing the originals leads, Winona Ryder and surely the least disliked legacy actor out there, Michael Keaton. Burton too is back delivering his trademark wildly enjoyable gothic comedy horror.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024) Movie Review

No one has ruined more films than Guillermo del Toro, by not directing them. But this time I fell the second attempt at rebooting the Hellboy franchise doesn't deserve the appalling reviews. It's refreshing to see the relentless barage of $200 million failed franchise movies give way to something far more low budget and weird, and the Appalachian horror setting is kinda great.

Wolfs (2024) Film Review

I feel this Brad and George star vehicle was slightly maligned on release. It remains a high quality outing for the platinum-plated pair and very well made. Plus not reliant on relentless high octane action, at least at first.

Jamie xx - In Waves (2024) Album Review

If ever there were a case of following your own imitators. The XX alumni's debut, In Colour, helped set a template that Coachella-esque electronic music has tried to follow ever since, making this sophomore album lack the lightning in a bottle aspect of its predecessor. Though a lackluster first half gives way to a much stronger second, particularly when the soul samples and collaborators are in the background.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead (2024) Album Review

For the first time since the first album review on this channel, Black Country, New Road's Ants From up There, a BIG FAT TEN OUT OF TEN, for the latest album from the Canadian Post-Rock titans. Some of their most stadium worthy rock to date, whilst feeling closer to a symphony by Gustav Mahler. And in case you were wondering. as of 25 October 2024 42,847 dead. 16,765 of those children.

The Substance (2024) Film Review

Writer director Coralie Fargeat announces herself in manner akin to Quentin Tarantino, with her second film. Being both unbelievably don't give a f*ck bold and hugely literate in the history of cinema, wearing a dazzling array of influences across this amazingly wild schlock horror. Margaret Qualley and an awards-likely Demi Moore are fearless accomplices. One of the years best, most controversial and talked about films.

 

 

 

The War on Drugs - Live Drugs Again (2024) Album Review

Like its predecessor - Live Drugs - I'm left with the same feeling that I wish half the song choices were different, as at its best, the opening a closing salvos, it's fantastic and a fine representation of one of alt-rocks great bands but much of the middle run is a bit too flat an samey. Def one for fans only. Though Under the Pressure is one of the finest 10 mins of music this year.

Caribou - Honey (2024) Album Review

Although it wont stand on quality as being one of the esteemed Dan Snaith's finest, as either Caribou or his other alt Daphne, Honey will go down as one of the most important and challenging albums of this era. The use of AI in music is already a hugely controversial topic and one Snaith hits head on by using AI to turn his own voice into a variety of female singers.

Gone But Forgotten: The House of Love

My infrequent series on albums, movies or bands that were either denied classic status on release or have been forgotten about since. I've gone on at painful length about my anger at The House of Love - the first exciting and original British indie guitar band since The Smiths - never being included in conversations about either Shoegaze or Britpop, despite being more foundational and sooner for bands like RIDE and Slowdive than My Bloody Valentine themselves. The fact is, that with most of their best material being recorded before the 90's waves even began, they were too soon to a party they helped create. Here a look back at their debut album and the releases either side, that show them as one of the best British bands of the whole show.