Album Review: The Verve Pipe - Overboard (2014)

The Verve Pipe - Overboard (2014)

Where to begin?  First and foremost, Prof P and I can both attest to the fact that The Verve Pipe are an amazing live band and that the music comes first, which is far more important than the ambiguous nature of the band's image throughout their 20+ year career.  And while this ambiguity persists to this day, the music is truly all that matters with Overboard (2014), and it shows as this is one of the band's finest albums.  That's it in a nutshell, but the larger story is far more complex!

Marketed as the band's first "rock" or "mainstream" or "dark" album in thirteen years, Overboard's "hype" seems to suggest that the band has been lost in the wilderness since their last "standard" album (which was 2001's excellent Underneath), but that is of course not true.  The Verve Pipe never actually went away, and I don't just say that because Wikipedia tells me so.  Between Underneath and Overboard, the band has actually had three releases, one Christmas EP and two "children's" albums.  As campy as that all might sound, these offerings (particularly the children's albums) rank as some of the band's greatest and most ambitious work.  That may be a bit hard to swallow, especially for The Verve Pipe, but both A Family Album (2009) and Are We There Yet? (2013) were so successful in that respective market that the band could actually make Overboard, and there are certainly some musical flourishes that carry over into their more "mature" offering.  Now I love these guys, but it all seems a bit rediculous; regardless, all of their music contructs their body of work, and the band's more recent offerings are inarguably their best.  And that very much includes Overboard.

Upon first listen, it's clear that The Verve Pipe have shed every last vestige of the post-grunge sound that made them famous in the first place; indeed, much of the album gets its sonic inspiration from the more acoustic leanings of frontman Brian Vander Ark's solo albums, in addition to the melodicism of Underneath.  That being said, there are some edgier moments that evoke even their 1999 eponymous dark horse, as well as some clear departures obviously inspired by the adventurisms of their children's albums.  All said and done, Overboard makes for one sonic kaleidoscope of an album, which is both its greatest strength and one weakness.  What I mean by this is that the sheer variety of the songs on Overboard probably makes for the most interesting album in the band's catalog,  and in many ways is probably their best collection of songs.  The title track is arguably the finest song they have ever produced, but "Crash Landing," "Latchkey Kid," "What You Did to Me," "Here in the Dark," and especially "Don't Say It's Over" equally rank among the band's best, and the rest of the album is of high quality.  However, as an entire album, Overboard feels somewhat disjointed and uneven, the songs never really flowing together in a cohesive production.  And while that isn't a major issue, it's enough to make Overboard probably their second best album.  Underneath, therefore, remains the definitive statement for the Verve Pipe because of both excellent songs and complete production, which might also be due to the equal songwriting contributions of the now departed drummer and co-founder Donny Brown.  While there are some subtle flourishes from Brown, his overall presence is honestly missed a bit on Overboard.

In the end, despite the press, the personnel changes, and slightly awkward pacing, Overboard is an excellent addition to The Verve Pipe's discography.   And if the album proves anything, it's that the band has survived their 90s rise and fall, prevailing with their best songwriting to date.  But don't call it a comeback; they've been there the whole time.  And maybe now with Overboard people might finally realize that they're here to stay.

McS

The After - "Pilot" Review

The After - "Pilot" (2014)

It's been a long time since Chris Carter did anything, let alone a series... well, sort of.  His latest release was the 2nd X-Files movie (The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008)), which was basically more of an extended episode of its parent series rather than feature film and probably the reason why it bombed.  To be fair, after repeated viewings, especially in its director's cut format, Believe proves to be a very solid film.  But I still stand behind it being better suited to a smaller screen.  Regardless, Carter left the TV format in 2002 with the series' end of The X Files, and he hasn't returned since... until now... well, sort of.  In the decade plus following the end of his signature series, the game has certainly changed with the advent of on-demand programming and particularly the Netfilx/Hulu revolution.  Amidst this paradigm shift, Carter has decided to make his return, and one to be distributed via Amazon's online platform.  The soon-to-be series is called The After, and all we have so far is the Pilot (which is the prime focus of this entry).  While an initial viewing of the Pilot suggests both new excitements and old frustrations, it is certainly nice to see something fresh from the man whole helped redefine prime-time drama roughly two decades ago.

First of all, the Pilot episode is up on Amazon and free to view anytime, so I suggest you take an hour to watch it; you won't be disappointed given that this is just the beginning.  The plot essentially revolves around a group of seven strangers forced together by unknown motives and thrust into a modern-day apocalypse scenario, but that's about all we get.  True to Carter's form, there are always more questions than answers, and you're always left wanting more, which is still a good thing even if we have to wait for the beginning of 2015 for the next installment.  Yes the Pilot did get picked up, and it's easy to see why.  Despite the premise reeking of Lost-isms, such a charge obviously remains to be seen - besides, The X Files was a huge influence on Lost, so Carter can do what he wants and would probably do a better job with that series anyway.  Carter very recently let it slip that The After is actually based on The Divine Comedy, and there is a clear trajectory for the series to follow the 99 Cantos of Dante's work (that's of course if Amazon allows Carter to make 99 episodes)!  So I guess in the meantime we could all be brushing up on Dante, it's as good a reason as any!  While it's been established that the Pilot was good enough to warrant a series, and the reviews for the Pilot have all been generally positive, there are (of course) some skeptics looking at the mythology pitfalls that did at times muddle The X Files, but all in all this is new ground for Carter... well, sort of.  But I mean that in the best possible way, honestly.

The After is clearly the work of Carter, no ifs, ands, or buts.  The story is drenched in his familiar concoction of characters supplying drama through a world of supernatural forces and extremes, with social commentary thrown in for good measure.  That being said, The After is also the work of a Carter who has had a decent amount of time to step out of the TV machine and reexamine and reflect upon his career, which is why it feels so fresh.  The Pilot is at once calculated, confident, and assured, yet entirely new in a way that no previous Carter pilot has been, and that's saying something (and I'm not necessarily referring to The X Files "Pilot," but more on that later).  As stubborn as he has been in the past, both The After's writing and direction prove that Carter has been paying attention to the trends in modern series and its giving them a go in his own way.  That means that there is no time for prosaic soliloquies or domestic ruminations, it's all about the end of the world and all the honest confusion that it would bring to the characters.  Free of network censoring, the script indulges in profanity and nudity, which is a far cry from The X-Files and certainly fun.  But Carter uses these freedoms to service the story, which is even more impressive.  The cast is also mostly fantastic, especially with a Francophone lead in Louise Monot, and true grit in Aldis Hodge providing some interesting racial tension.  However, unlike The X Files, The After is an ensemble cast and the story acts accordingly, so again there remains a lot to be seen with the character development in terms of background and motive.  If there is one thing that rings true from the past, it's the darkness, which is certainly more apparent in the Pilot's very intriguing final minutes.  And whatever you take from that, you will want to know more.

I'd be lying if I said The After Pilot isn't vague, but that is obviously the point.  Carter is an expert at being vague, and of crossing paths with his other series, especially when it comes to Good vs. Evil (and I definitely mean this in a biblical sense).  But this is what is so exciting.  While The After might by design be cut from the same cloth as The X Files, I believe it will come much closer to the themes and textures of Carter's Millennium, and I couldn't be happier.  Millennium, arguably Carter's greatest conceptual work, took the concept of Good vs. Evil to the harshest realms (pun intended), creating one of the darkest and most cerebral works ever to "grace" network television.  If The After can continue Carter's foray into that world, and I have an inkling that it will, then I think this new series will have a creative sustainability that would have otherwise been lost on a mere X Files retread.  In many ways, The After could prove to be a roundabout way of continuing and justifying the substance of Millennium, which truly would be fantastic.  For those familiar with the what Millennium achieved, The After will surely entice, and I could certainly see Frank Black making an appearance somewhere down the line, and I hope Carter is considering that very notion.

In the end, all we have so far is a promising pilot and a whole lot of speculation, but that is enough considering we've had nothing from Carter for quite a while.  The flipside to this is that I can't imagine there will be another X Files movie anytime soon if at all, but Fox owns that anyway and they are doing the usual not-giving-a-shit thing, so that venture always seemed grim.  For now, we will have to settle for The After, and hopefully Carter will take this opportunity and all he has learned in the interim and run with it.  Taken as a whole, Carter's work could veer into the obtuse and even pretentious (always intelligent though), but at his best, Carter created both characters and stories that were nothing short of genius.  Let's hope that The After can be even better!

- McS  

      

Maleficent (2014) Review

Maleficent (2014)

As I recently stated, Disney Animation Studios truly had a watershed moment with Frozen (2013), capping off a a half-decade run of excellent animated films that rejuvenated the name of Disney at large.  And while that is a significant achievement for a company that often has the final say in motion picture animation, we can't forget the other side of Disney, that being the live-action film component.  This is a far more ambiguous realm as Disney has always produced live-action features - usually several a year as opposed to a single animation offering - that vary in quality without following defined trends.  Most recently, however, Disney has assumed a particular MO in their live-action offerings, which has been to embrace the aging generations raised on the company's classic animated tales and offer a more mature (darker even) revisionism.  While it being a network TV show, Once Upon a Time (2011-) has been the cornerstone of this venture, and has proved to be highly successful.  The films have followed suite, and nowhere is that more apparent than with the re-imagined-Sleeping Beauty noir of Maleficent (2014), with which, like with animation in Frozen, Disney has finally hit its live-action mark.

Maleficent, of course, is not the first feature to employ the method explained above.  Two films have actually come before it, and while those films naturally proved to be box office successes, the clumsily mismanaged Alice in Wonderland (2010) and the just plain awful Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) critically missed the mark.  These two films were simply disappointing despite their returns, but that was mostly due to poor writing; their visual style was somewhat redeeming and no doubt the reason everyone went to see them (that being said, Oz really did suck).  The problem with Alice and Oz was that despite the intention to rework the classic material in a new and more mature way, the producers never really seemed to find that way.  The stories were muddled and half-baked, playing second fiddle to the visuals that would climax in battle sequences that seemed more like gimmicks than actual plot devices.  It came off as being just stupid.  Maleficent, on the other hand, succeeds where the other two failed by having a confident and solid script to anchor the truly stunning visuals.  Even a concept as basic as giving a back story to the villain from Sleeping Beauty (1959) pays off so well here because it is so clear and direct; simple, but not stupid.

Tight story aside, what really seals the deal for Maleficent is its casting.  Angelina Jolie, not surprisingly, absolutely devours the title role, and does so which such grit and grace that you would swear the character was written for her.  What is surprising, however, is the quality of the supporting cast.  The always outstanding Sharlto Copley equally devours his role as Maleficent's lover-turned-enemy and injects an intensity that is certainly the darkest element of the film.  Sam Riley also turns in a stoic performance as Diaval, the raven accomplice, and Elle Fanning delivers a light but justifiably innocent portrayal of Princess Aurora (don't forget, the film really isn't about her).  Even the comic relief of the three fairies is well done and used only sparingly so as not to undermine the serious themes and subtexts throughout the film; indeed, Disney can't Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah anymore, especially with an allusion to rape in the first act.

Finally, the component we would all expect the film's enormous budget to go to does not disappoint.  Maleficent is visually stunning, simple as that.  The artwork in both foreground and background is breathtaking, the 3D is excellent, and the action is thrilling and always motivated.  To shake things up, the film more or less opens with the obligatory epic battle scene, but it serves to effectively establish the story instead of conclude it, making room for far more intimate and impressive action sequences to arrive later in the narrative when it truly counts.  However, it still is a great epic battle scene; short but sweet, and one of the best Disney has produced since The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005).  First-time director Robert Stromberg makes an impressive debut, no doubt to the credit of his background as a decorated production designer.  No expense was spared in the visual creation of Maleficent's world, but no expense was wasted either.

The film is not without its flaws, but they are few and far between, and completely forgivable considering that Disney has improved upon its previous outings of the same nature.  In the end, all of this makes for one of the tightest and most efficient movies Disney has given us recently, and that is very impressive given the fact that they can more than afford cinematic indulgence (and again, Oz really did suck).  It will certainly be interesting to see whether Disney can continue this quality and efficiency with their subsequent live-action version of Cinderella in 2015.  Who's know what its twist might be - the viewpoint of the glass slipper?  Regardless, the bar has been set very high, and there's little room to phone anything in anymore.  Maleficent gives me faith in the future of live-action Disney, and highly I doubt they will pull another Oz, because it really did suck.

- McS


  

Reflections on Frozen (2013)

Frozen (2013)

Now that the dust has finally settled on Frozen (2013) - just in time for Maleficent (2014) too! - I feel that I can finally comment on what is now the most successful Disney Animation Studios film to date.  Usually I would have reviewed a Disney film when it came out, but I lost track of time and the movie became a cross generational phenomenon with Oscars, songs on the Billboard charts, and birthday parites/proms galore.  So really, I got off easy and now is as good a time as any to comment.  This might not be so much of a review or a critique, but more of a straight up reflection; plus, I feel like I should say something!

First of all, is Frozen the best DAS film to date?  No, but it is one of the best.  Did it deserve the Oscar for Best Animated Feature film?  I don't know, I haven't seen The Wind Rises (2013) (and Prof P says that one was better); however, I do feel that Frozen winning big is sort of like Scorsese winning big with The Departed (2006) in that the film almost needed to win to celebrate a larger previous body of work.  What I mean is that the DAS had it coming now that its third renaissance has come full circle.  And honestly, Brave (2012) beating out Wreck-It Ralph (2012) in last year's Oscars was total bullcrap.  But this leads me to the point that DAS has truly progressed and produced some excellent work since they reemerged in 2009 with The Princess and the Frog.  Indeed, that film exemplifies the mandate that DAS set out to achieve, which is to push Disney classicism into the zeitgeist.  And while they have excelled critically with each film since, Frozen represent the studio finally breaking through to the masses and striking cultural pay dirt.  Not surprisingly, Frozen  also represents the ideal summation of the recent tactics used across these DAS films of the previous four years.  The Princess and the Frog and Tangled (2010) were both classicist Disney princess films filtered through the modern feminist suggestion so often leveled against the princess films of Disney's golden age and even the late 1980's second coming.  Conversely, Winnie the Pooh (2011) and Wreck-It Ralph were more about pure Disney progression and experimentation, respectively.  Put it together and what do you get?  Frozen and massive success.

Frozen is an anti-princess tale, not only because there is no prince, but also because there is no need for a prince.  Despite The Princess and the Frog's racial milestone, there is still a prince; despite Tangled having no prince, there is a need for a prince and we essentially get one.  Frozen counters this by only suggesting the need for a prince, instead of using the character trope as mere misdirection.  The prince is a red herring slapping the face of classic Disney, and it works so well.  Therefore, with the subtext of virginity lost all but erased, the film is an ensemble journey and visual spectacle a la Pooh and Ralph.  This is why Frozen is now more successful than The Lion King (1994).  The film has everything Disney and yet is nothing like what we have seen before in the DAS canon, but what's important is that it still feels like Disney (almost more so than ever).

All in all, Disney has another big one in the can, and Frozen is already The Lion King of its generation and the most successful animated film to date, but DAS has been building up to this point after returning from the dead... again.  It will certainly be interesting to see if the studio can sustain this kind of success and influence in the wake of Frozen; Big Hero 6 is next on the docket and is slated for a fall release this year.  Regardless, Frozen has put DAS back on top, and deservedly so.  And while I'm sure we'll feel its presence for years to come, I'd personally rather here "Let it Go" over a Nickelback song any day.

- McS

 

   

Album Review: The Olms - The Olms (2013)

The Olms - The Olms (2013)

Between 2009 and 2010 Pete Yorn released three distinct and pretty decent albums (Back & Fourth (2009), Break Up (2009) with Scarlett Johannson, and Pete Yorn (2010)), so it makes sense that he would take a bit of time off.  In 2013 Yorn returned to the scene, but this time he's not alone.  Teaming up with his new partner in crime, LA neo-folk songsmith J.D. King, Yorn has found a fresh new voice in The Olms - and as their self-title debut proves, the band is surprisingly the sum of its parts.

While some fans might miss Yorn's straight-up roots rock ala Petty-Wallflowers, few can deny what a refreshing sound takes its place.  King is the perfect hazy foil for Yorn's somewhat somber tones, and it brings the best out of both songwriters.  Conceived as an almost pure collaboration of singing, songwriting, and performing, The Olms bounces around an eclectic mix of country and folk with a light shading of psychedelia thrown in for good measure.  In many ways, it's not unlike the sonic territory of Break Up; however, The Olms is far more successful in terms of the songwriting, and much more enjoyable.  Tracks like "On the Line" and "Wanna Feel It" embody this easy-going template as do "Someone Else's Girl" and "Twice as Nice" - even the left-field murder number "She Said No" is a winner!  All said and done, the entire album is immediately catchy and memorable.  But what's most important is that The Olms feels absolutely effortless, which is something that Yorn has never been able to achieve.  Even his impressive and very successful debut Musicforthemorningafter (2001) felt labored at times (though it never dragged on like subsequent releases).  Yet as a member of The Olms, Yorn just seems to be relaxed and better than ever.  In addition, King too seems to shine in this duo, whereas his solo material might be missing the zest afforded here by his copilot.

To put it simply, The Olms is pleasant surprise that gets better and more addictive with each repeated listen.  Both men are clearly songwriting pros in their own right, but together they are able to trim any solo fat and produce something that is truly transcendental.  Even if The Olms turns out to be just a one-off, it was an incredibly noble effort and totally worth it.  That being said, while more solo albums from either of them would hardly be a bad thing, more albums from The Olms would be the best thing!

- McS