The Brown Note Movie Review

Firestarter (2022) Film Review

As we continue to trawl the depths of remake and reboot - the unasked for return to a lesser Steven King novel and its even lesser film version, has been panned by critics. A whopping 11% Rotten Tomatoes. HOWEVER if you like the modern era's low key, low budget, homage to cult 70's/80's horror or Sci-fi movies with awesome soundtracks - by the very king of this himself, John Carpenter (if only he'd directed too!) I actually liked this, especially its off the leash final third.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) Movie Review

The once universally loved wizarding world arrived at the third installment of this prequel to the Harry Potter franchise in much darker waters. The replacement of Johnny Depp and the equally large controversy surrounding JK Rowling. Both far more compelling than this unnecessary franchise (or lead character) has ever been. Despite the gay love story adding unexpected depth, there's little here to do than ponder what the purpose of any of this was.

Arcade Fire - WE (2022) Album Review

Canada's indie royalty, Arcade Fire, have struggled this last decade to sustain the immortal high of their first three albums, their latest, WE, seems to want to hark back to that golden era. It almost does so successfully - at times. The first half less so, than a near faultless second, and Butler's lyrics are occasionally hello kids cringe, but there's a raft of compelling and soaring new songs here.

Uncharted (2022) Film Review

Video game adaptions are a historic basket case for no real reason either, just hire some one to write a decent script and screenplay and the rest is already in place. This Mark Wahlberg/Tom Holland'er has neither and is possibly shallower than the games themselves but despite almost nothing to recommend it, I couldn't bring myself to hate it - mainly because it has a climactic battle of Spanish galleons jousting beneath giant helicopters.

Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022) Album Review

Definitely the toughest gig for reviewers in the modern era, given his peerless history and the uncompromising difficultly of the double album offered here. Plenty that is amazing and also a fair bit that is not. Still a wildly impressive and artistic fulmination to the five chapter story arc began with Section.80. I'd go 8.5/9.5/9.5/7/7.5

Bad Bunny - Un Verano Sin Ti (2022) Album Review

The Puerto Rican superstar is probably the MVP of Latin music right now and at a time it has become the only ever serious rival to English language pop in history. Could well prove the Alpha to Rosalia's art house Omega - Motomami this year and is already the second ever non-English language number one Billboard album after... his last album. An often great double, showcasing a raft of styles that is definitely better in its second half.

The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention (2022) Album Review

Managing to occupy an incredibly narrow strip between Radiohead front man Thom Yorke's solo albums and the main band, whilst featuring fellow band alumni, Johnny Greenwood, wasn't an exciting prospect for me and pretty much Radiohead tbh. However, this was a much more thrilling and dynamic offering than expected. Offering some of the finest white funk this side of the immortal Krautrock legends Can and some of Yorke's most beautiful singing. Even if the dystopian lyrics were a bit slogany and the second half outweighed the first, it still would've made an excellent follow up to A Moon Shaped Pool - which it does I guess.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) Movie Review

Even though the rabid fan boys will never admit it, Endgame should've been the perfect ending is was and the quality has dropped off a cliff since. But apparently the Marvel Comic Universe will never stop until its stopped by force. This is one of the slightest and most pointless Marvel films yet, it doesn't even look that good, the only possible reason for coming is a superb Elizabeth Olsen - if only she'd played it like that in the main films - absolutely every thing else here is an instantly forgettable and aggravatingly cynical excuse for a movie.

The Lost City (2022) Movie Review

Crucially closer to Romancing The Stone than Raiders of the Lost Ark, this is an un-challenging balm for troubled times. Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum have the charisma and comic chops to carry the movie, even if the frequent flat spots stop it shy of greatness. It should be criminal, however, not to have had Brad Pitt in two thirds of the movie in arguably the cameo of the year (spin off!!!) and has Daniel Radcliff finally found his groove playing evil billionaires?!

Pusha T - It’s Almost Dry (2022) Album Review

Still pushing the line that his previous brotherly duo, Clipse's Hell Hath No Fury album is the centuries best rap record, the decade solo Pusha continues one of Hip-hops hot streaks, after the instant classic Daytona. Reuniting with both that record's producer Kanye West and that previous masterpieces producer, Pharrell Williams, for another thrilling ride of apex coke-rap.