In this week’s episode of BBB RADIO, Ricardo and Matthew review the long-awaited “Martin: The Reunion” (based on the highly-popular 90s sitcom “Martin”), the Disney/Pixar sci-fi adventure “Lightyear” and, together with Ashton, the newest and UNEXPECTED “Beavis & Butt-Head” feature: “Beavis & Butt-Head Do The Universe”. In addition, Ashton and Matthew cover the third season of the Netflix superhero series “The Umbrella Academy” and, alongside Ricardo and Tracy, the full season of the new Star Wars TV series “Obi-Wan Kenobi”.
LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE
Month: June 2022
For this new track review, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the latest single from Calgary, Alberta, Canada singer-songwriter Sofia Evangelina entitled “Get Outta my Head”. Sofia first broke onto the music scene at age 14 with her debut album “Butterfly” and anti-bullying single “This is Your Song”, both of which led to her Best Album win at the Young Artists Academy’s Awards Gala and numerous talent competition awards in Canada and the United States. “Get Outta my Head” is the first track in a five-single rollout this year, while Sofia continues work on her 2023-scheduled sophomore album.
Similar in many respects to the ballad “Killing Me Softly with his Song”, made timeless by R&B legend Roberta Flack and hip-hop gamechanger Lauryn Hill, “Get Outta my Head” centers on the overwhelming and sometimes contradictory feelings one has for a potential love interest in the early stages of a relationship. Sofia as the protagonist of the song conveys this dilemma in the song’s two verses, pre-chorus, chorus and bridge.
The song opens with her singing about being on her own with no one distracting her, up until the moment when the aforementioned love interest is quickly introduced in the narrative (“You came along, got me singin’ to your song”). Now that he’s made his way into her comfort zone, she’s unable to discern between “fantasy and reality” and it’s too much for her to handle at the moment (“Wake me up, I’m so fed up”). On the pre-chorus, she blames the guy for her distress (“You made your way into my mind”) and, with her emotions overpowering her, lashes out on the hook (“Get outta my Head”).
On the second verse, she blames the guy for “turnin’ from the blue” whilst self-aware of her own infatuation towards him, despite the fact that she’s not the type to fall head over heels so quickly (“Infatuated, hate it, so not me”). Sofia ends her verse with the line “Heard your voice, now I’m trapped in your noise”, and if I have one gripe with the song (a minor one, mind you), it’s the use of that line three consecutive times near the end of the stanza as opposed to using it once. On the flip side, I did find the “noise” vamp at the end of the verse itself (clearly meant to emphasize how confused she feels at this moment) quite charming.
The bridge is easily the song’s biggest highlight, with its murky sub-bass and skipping chord progression in the production, in addition to the STUNNING high notes Sofia hits from the second half of the bridge to the end of the first half of the chorus. Lyrically, Sofia’s character finds herself at the peak of her frustration, wondering if she should give in to the feelings she has for this person or reject them for some peace of mind (“Echoes in my dreams, Calling me, stalking me/ How we gonna end this war?”). And the outro is just as great, with its subtle organ-like keys and ghostly, reverbed vocalizing, both of which help bring the song to a satisfyingly haunting conclusion.
Sofia’s singing capabilities and emotive songwriting are on full display on “Get Outta my Head”, from the captivating vocal ranges she applies throughout the track to the simple, direct and emotionally potent lines she delivers. Additionally, the production is excellent, with the song’s slightly forlorn, R&B and soul-fused, piano-driven instrumental serving as a soundstage, if you will, for Sofia’s melodramatic tale to play out. In particular, the main piano chord exudes a somewhat playful vibe, and you can imagine Sofia herself being brought slowly to madness by this endlessly-looped melody to the point that she lets loose this declaration of release that serves as the song’s title.
As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed “Get Outta my Head”! For first-timers to Sofia Evangelina’s music like myself, this is a great starting point, and as a warm-up to her upcoming album, this is clearly an indication of the level of quality we can expect from it. In short, this track is DEFINITELY worth checking out! Just don’t expect it to leave your head anytime soon.
Follow Sofia Evangelina on Instagram and Spotify.
“Soulful Ignorance” is the debut album from Alice Springs/ Central Australia-based rapper Marsh (originally from Buffalo, New York) and Alice Springs-born rapper/producer D-Day. Recorded in the Red House Recording Studio over the course of two years, this marks their official release as a duo after having their own respective success in the U.S. and Aussie music worlds. Its title, along with its DOPE, 60s psychedelic art-inspired album cover, instantly piqued my interest and I was curious to hear how these emcees would explore this rather unique concept.
Now to be fair, I wasn’t expecting D-Day and Marsh to do a lyrical deep-dive into what it means to be “soulfully ignorant”. Admittedly, the opening and mid-point conversational skits “Ignorance” and “Soul” were promising in terms of establishing some sort of conceptual throughline within the songs, but they ran way too quickly (each skit clocks in at under 30 seconds) to leave a significant impact.
Thankfully, the self-aware personalities Marsh and D-Day adopt on the album make up for that missed opportunity; they’re intelligent without trying to over-think everything (as suggested on “Ignorance”), taking other people’s advice and viewpoints on life with a grain of salt (the incredibly sardonic final line of “Soul” hints at that), and adamant on figuring out life on their own while living theirs to the absolute fullest. But to their credit, D-Day and Marsh care little about head-scratching existential musings, and are more concerned about delivering a jam-packed, neck-snapping, verse-quoting and MOSTLY danceable listening experience. And thankfully, that’s what we get here on this record!
“Soulful Ignorance” kicks off in fine style with the banger “No Limit”, whose warbling piano melody, thick bassline, energetic, back-and-forth vocal deliveries (especially from Marsh who sounds MONSTROUS on the first verse) and devious wordplay makes for one of the album’s biggest highlights. POINTS for that “BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! RIP to MF Doom” line from Marsh, by the way! The duo gets even more aggressive on the second half of the album with “I Drill U Drill”, where they take cold-blooded, subliminal shots at their haters over a chilling, horror-themed trap beat.
A majority of the album, however, consists of a series of upbeat, thematically varied tracks that hopefully will be included in a number of summertime playlists this year! Take the song “Slow Mo’ Mystery Ride”, with its smooth, gospel-inspired, piano and handclap-driven instrumental and darkly humorous look at wasting one’s time and brain cells on substance abuse (Marsh’s references to “Alice in Wonderland” in particular were a nice touch). And on the subject of substances, the aptly-titled “Fucked Up” finds Marsh and D-Day rapping about their inebriated experiences at a random nightclub over some woozy, synth-laden production.
There’s also the one-two combo of “Thought You Knew” and “All I Do Is Kill It” where D-Day and Marsh address those who’ve disparaged their lyrical talent and rise in the rap game. The former features fellow Alice Springs native Threat3 who brilliantly compliments the duo’s elaboration on their work ethic and drive towards success whilst trying to remain as hater-proof as possible. And on “All I Do Is Kill It”, we hear about the duo’s continual progression of their pen games over a head-nodding, trunk-rattling beat, though I felt D-Day’s vocals on the hook were slightly overpowered the moment the choir-esque sample comes in. But the best of these upbeat cuts is easily “I’ll Be Damned” which is an absolute delight from start to finish thanks to its soulful, piano-driven production, highly-relatable theme of fake friends wanting handouts the moment one attains some level of success and, of course its catchy-as-hell hook.
As expected, there are a few songs dedicated to the ladies. Over the bouncy trap instrumental of “Ready”, Marsh and D-Day (the latter of whom steals the show with a STELLAR staccato flow on his verse) spit some raunchy bars about the women they’re into, with lyrical assistance from guest crooner Abbie on the hook and guest rapper Kxng Mash with his rather impressive second verse. On “Arriba Arriba”, the duo delivers a ridiculously fun song about their attraction towards a vivacious Spanish woman who’s just as dangerous (literally and figuratively) as she is desirable. And not only does “2 Blessed 2 Stress” feature one of the album’s best instrumentals with its groovy, 90s R&B throwback production, but it also shows an unexpectedly vulnerable side to D-Day and Marsh as they rap about moving on from a broken heart.
But then there’s the album closer “Cancelled”, whose simple piano and drum-based beat alone is guaranteed to draw attention due to its structural similarities to the Shelly FKA DRAM (Yeah, he doesn’t go by DRAM anymore, in case you didn’t know) smash hit “Broccoli”. Here, Marsh and D-Day poke fun at – or should I say poke holes into – the #MeToo movement and the double standards regarding men that are associated it. It’s not as controversial or confrontational as you might expect, but even in its fairly light-hearted tone, “Cancelled” still manages to be an effectively thought-provoking look at modern cancel culture.
However, it’s not all fun and games on “Soulful Ignorance”. There’s a couple of serious moments on the album, the first being “Hold” which features a dramatic, soul-stirring beat that D-Day, Marsh and fellow rapper and audio engineer Dan the Underdog put to great use as they rap about battling and overcoming personal obstacles in their lives. Dan EASILY steals the show with one of the most emotional verses on the record, centered on his victory over the alcohol-fueled depression that almost separated him completely from his family. The latter is the single “Crossfire Kids”, a powerful tribute to the victims of police brutality, both young and old. Guest singer Ned Hargraves’ hook did take a while to grow on me, but it fits very well with the track’s moody, glitchy production. Marsh and D-Day are at their most dispirited on this track, delivering these quick, bitter and cynical comments at the authorities whose unlawful actions continue to fuel the Black Lives Matter movement.
Overall, I really enjoyed “Soulful Ignorance”. Sonically and thematically, there wasn’t anything amazing or different, but the album excels at its mostly feel-good vibe, cohesive tracklist, undeniable chemistry between its leads, versatile production and great guest features. I do hope to hear more soulful, ignorant music from Marsh and D-Day in the near-future, but in the meantime, if you’re looking for an album to vibe out to this summer and onwards, “Soulful Ignorance” is worth the listen!
OVERALL RATING: 7.5 out of 10
Now available on all streaming platforms
“Cicada” is the newest sci-fi/horror short film from Orlando actor, screenwriter, music video director and filmmaker Freddie Jarrett. This is his second foray into the two genres, with his first horror short being the wickedly fun, Halloween-themed “The Girl with the Pumpkin” (2018) and his first sci-fi short being the Black Lives Matter-themed, virtual reality-based “Woke” (2019). Interestingly, “Cicada” repeats the theme of ‘unreality’ from his prior works, where the protagonist (played once again by Freddie) finds himself in a bizarre, frightening situation that isn’t entirely explained or justified.
Similar to “Woke”, Freddie is paired with a lead actress – in this case, Roxy Rivera who plays his on-screen girlfriend Betty, a social media influencer within the travel/lifestyle niche. It’s funny that Freddie’s name in the film is Barney who, as we all should know from pop culture, is the husband of Betty Rubble in “The Flintstones” and the best friend of……you guessed it, FRED Flintstone! In actuality, the character names are based on the real-life American couple Barney and Betty Hill, and if you’re already familiar with their ‘true story’ (which I won’t mention for fear of spoilers), you should have a fair idea of what to expect here.
The story of “Cicada” is centered on Betty and Barney who book a 5 star-rated cottage for a weekend getaway. Upon arrival at the cottage, they notice a small cabin nearby where the incessant sound of cicada shrills emanate from. During their stay, the couple is exposed to the terrifying secrets that exist within that cabin. From both a thematic and narrative standpoint, “Cicada” feels like a continuation of the old-school horror tributing of “The Girl with the Pumpkin” and the contemporary social satire of “Woke” with its standard, horror movie setup (couple arrive at abandoned house, things start going ‘bump’ afterwards etc.) and direct emphasis on the artificiality involved with social media platforms.
But I’ll make the argument that comparable to “Woke”, the film also touches on American slavery and its after effects in modern society, albeit in an interpretative fashion. There’s one scene involving an attack on the couple that is easily the most disturbing moment in the film, and though there are visual suggestions of what might be happening, the psychological effects the event leaves on Barney and Betty makes it painfully clear that they’re being degraded and tortured by their attackers.
Without spoiling anything, Barney and Betty are essentially test subjects – slaves if you will – in an ‘experiment’. Yes, you can make the argument that it could’ve been someone else of a different ethnicity involved, and yes, the sci-fi category of the film implies that there’s way more to this experiment than race, but I think the mere choice of having the main characters be African-American (and not simply because of casting) is purely intentional. And while the objective of the experiment is never revealed, the sinister nature behind it and what it could mean for its potential victims going forward makes for a genuinely haunting conclusion to the film.
The cast is small but everyone plays their role well enough. Roxy is captivating as both the enthusiastic and tormented Betty and Freddie is quite convincing as the archetypal straight man who smells the BS the moment he arrives at the cottage, though I felt he could’ve been given more dialogue in comparison to Roxy. Shamon Williams plays a bit role as Roxy’s friend Fish, appearing in the film’s introductory scene in a Facetime chat. Cinematographer Graham Zielinski creates a series of effectively ominous images throughout the film, from the eerily dark exterior shots of the cottage to the unnaturally bright interior of the secluded cabin. And Kathleen Enriquez, who provided additional music to “Woke”, delivers an appropriately creepy score that brilliantly compliments the film’s unsettling use of actual cicada shrills in its sound design.
As for flaws, I did notice a couple of ‘rough’ transitions from the camera lens into the screen of a smartphone, and there was a particular VFX shot during the abovementioned attack on the couple that I felt could’ve been improved. But thankfully, those moments didn’t take me out of the film and overall, I found myself appreciating and enjoying it way more than I expected! Despite its short runtime, there’s a significant number of topics and themes to unpack and examine from “Cicada”, many of which will leave you thinking long after the film ends. This is yet another impressive showcase of Freddie Jarrett’s acting, writing and directing chops, and here’s hoping we get more great films (hopefully a feature) from him in the near-future!
OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10
“Cicada” will be hitting the festival circuit (in-person and online) this summer. Subscribe to Freddie’s newsletter for announcements, updates etc.
“What We Need” is the newest album from keyboardist and producer Mike Di Lorenzo and a long-awaited follow-up to his 2011 record “Bring it Back”. This project marks a significant change of pace in Mike’s predominately instrumental approach to his albums (save for the songs featuring vocalist Norman Durham on “Bring it Back”) as every track on it is vocal-based. With his years-long knowledge and experience in the music world, Mike was able to reach out to artists like singer/rapper CaiNo, R&B singer/songwriter Anna Moore, UK popstar Sonna Rele, jazz/soul singer Denise Stewart and Joel Kibble of the iconic (and childhood-defining for me) acapella group Take 6. The end result is a truly gratifying listening experience that not only highlights Mike’s skills in composing superb, mood-inducing music but showcases a few voices in the adult contemporary R&B , jazz, soul and pop worlds well-deserving of greater attention.
Kicking things off, we have “Island Breeze”, an absolute highlight on the record due to its irresistible blend of laid-back keyboards and horns, heavenly vocalizing from Sonna Rele, an incredibly catchy hook from CaiNo and even a brief, light-hearted rap from him as well. Following this, we have “Let’s Make Our Love Last” where Anna Moore – who appears on half of the album’s 12 tracks – takes us from the beach setting of the previous song and into a lounge bar and café, treating us to a lyrical call to action to a prospective love interest to hook up with her. Then we get the mid-tempo “Guess Who I Saw Today”, where Denise Stewart makes her sole appearance on the album stand out with her silky smooth vocals which sound ever so elegant over Mike’s jazzy, 90s-inspired breakbeat-laced production.
On the aptly-titled “Girls Talk”, Sonna comes through with a delightful anthem for the ladies, chock full of topics she finds pleasure in conversing with her girlfriends about that, more than likely, WILL fly over men’s heads. Obviously, women will enjoy this song more than men, but that’s not to say men won’t be able to appreciate its warm production and pleasant vocals. The title track performed by Anna feels like a thematic continuation of the ‘missed opportunity’ theme of “Let’s Make Our Love Last”. Here, she broadens her scope from a second chance at love to a fruitful life, with a greater emphasis on the things she actually needs over what she constantly desires. “What We Need” is easily one of the album’s best tracks, thanks in part to its life-affirming message and instrumentation. The song “Time after Time” is yet another album highlight, with its lush, cinematic soundscape and STELLAR performance from Joel Kibble, both of which beautifully evoke the blissful style and sound of late 80s to early 90s R&B and jazz ballads.
The second half of the album kicks off with “Speak Low”, where Anna compliments Mike’s nocturnal production with some sultry, quiet storm-inspired vocals. Afterwards, the tracklist takes an unexpected turn with Sonna’s smoothed-out, R&B/jazz cover of the Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez duet “We Don’t Talk Anymore”. Though I wasn’t keen on the outro where her pre-chorus vocals sounded out of sync with the closing keyboard melody (perhaps this was meant to emphasize the emotional confusion she feels at this point), Sonna successfully managed to do justice to such a beloved song. Even CaiNo gets a crack at covering a Billboard Top 100 song near the end of the album, with his selection being DJ Snake and Justin Bieber’s (Ahh, the irony of placing a Justin Bieber song AFTER a Selena Gomez song in this tracklist) smash hit “Let Me Love You”. Mike’s approach to the song is pretty interesting, as he replaces the tropical house-oriented build-up and EDM drop of the original track with a slower, smoother, piano-driven beat which CaiNo uses to deliver a VERY IMPRESSIVE vocal performance.
With the exception of CaiNo on the album’s penultimate track, Anna is assigned the task of concluding “What We Need” – which she accomplishes in a trifecta of terrific tracks. First, we have “Runaway”, whose adult contemporary radio-friendly production and lyrical passages reminds me of mid-90s-associated R&B/soul acts like Des’ree and Oleta Adams. Up next, Anna delivers one of the best songs on the record with “When I’m With You”, a sexy yet heartfelt tribute to her partner set to a sensual, keyboard and sax-driven beat. And on the album closer “Take a Chance”, Anna exhibits a noticeably peppy demeanor as, in a continuation of the life-affirming vibe of the title track, she’s given a new lease on life. The eagerness to take the next step into a fulfilling life resonates throughout the track, from Mike’s upbeat instrumental to Anna’s vibrant vocal delivery, both of which help to close the album on a satisfyingly positive note.
As a whole, this was a highly enjoyable jazz/R&B/soul album with versatile, textured production from Mike Di Lorenzo and fantastic lyrical and vocal contributions from his guests. Fans of those three genres will find a lot to appreciate and enjoy here, but for those who’re simply looking for the next great easy-listening record to vibe out to, “What We Need” is exactly what you’re looking for!
OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10
Now available on all streaming platforms
“The Orange Diamond Sessions: Two Waves (06/04/2022)” is the follow-up to Chicago multi-instrumentalist / producer C.W. Franz’s 2021 collaborative album “The Orange Diamond Sessions (8/14/2021)” which featured the guitarist / vocalist Michael Molitor a.k.a. Pelicans vs. Rockets. It’s also the third in his “Sessions” series, the last one being “The Wells House Sessions (1/22/22 – 2/5/22)” featuring singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Morgana Warner-Evans. If you aren’t familiar with those two “Sessions” albums (Feel free to pause this review and check them out on their respective Bandcamp pages. I’ll be here when you’re done!), what they basically presented are recordings, usually iPhone-based, of one-on-one jam sessions where C.W. and a fellow artist flesh out a series of songs – mostly improvisational (like on the first “Orange Diamond Sessions”) and on occasion, covers (see Morgana’s vocal contributions to the “Wells House Sessions”) – during a specific day of studio time. At their respective core, it’s a straight-forward melding of minds; two artists with similar creative sensibilities making music simply because they have the passion and drive to do so.
This time, C.W. trades musical ideas and notes with Chicago guitarist / vocalist *Mitch* whose recently-released debut album “Fully Realized”, a highly entertaining mix of sardonically humorous and lyrically captivating songs and quirky, musical genre and era-bending production (Look at the 60s surf music and 80s nu-wave-inspired “Nu Wave World” and ABBA-esque “Champagne Nights 1978” as prime examples), impressed C.W. so much that a “Session” collaboration was inevitable. And while there isn’t any singing per se on the album (instead we get humming and vocalizing from both artists), *Mitch* brings their knowledge of various musical genres to the table, from folktronica to bossa nova.
The album starts off strong with “Rio Solitario”, a calm, relaxing blend of *Mitch’s* classical guitar and C.W.’s ambient accompaniment on the Casio SA-76 keyboard. And on the subject of guitar, string instruments are apparently *Mitch’s* weapons of choice, as a number of tracks involve their use of either a guitar or ukulele. On the following track “Bossa Improvisada” (LOVE that title, by the way!), *Mitch* adds some Brazilian samba into the mix with these smooth, jazzy bossa nova melodies, backed by a few faint Casio keys from C.W. Here is where things get really interesting. After the first 30 seconds, C.W. starts playing a RAWHIDE RATTLE which, in essence, works as a supportive percussion instrument to *Mitch’s* guitar, but still sounds like it shouldn’t belong in a bossa nova song due to its loud timbre. And yet somehow, it actually FITS, even though there is a bit of time spent by C.W. to find his literal groove at the beginning of his performance. Even more interesting is his brief use of a ceramic eagle bone whistle near the end of the track which also has a loud timbre, and yet fits just as neatly into the song as a woodwind instrument like a flute or clarinet.
There’s a couple more samba-inspired moments on “Two Waves” in the form of “Samba Mitch” and “Bossa Calma”. “Samba Mitch” has, in my opinion, the best INTRO on “Two Waves”: an impromptu moment involving *Mitch* trying to fine-tune the right rhythm to kick off the song via ukulele (“I need to get that rhythm down”). Leave it to C.W. and his trusty rawhide rattle to get the ball rolling, and as short as the track is (clocking in at 1 minute and 50 seconds), it’s still an aural delight! *Mitch’s* ukulele melody is simple yet so incredibly catchy, and is heightened even further by C.W.’s rattle shakes. The latter track, by comparison, is sparser in composition with a calm (hence the title) and genuinely beautiful ukulele solo from *Mitch* and a couple of static-like ambient bits from C.W.
We also get a few dreamlike, reflective cuts on the album like the one-two combo of “Ryo’s Dream” and “Bola’s Dream (Parts I and II)”. The former treats us to a pleasant, nocturnal duet between C.W’s sparkly Omnichord and *Mitch’s* buzzy Stylophone. Its relatively moodier follow-up “Bola’s Dream (Parts I and II)” finds C.W. and Mitch leaning more into the nightly vibe of the previous track, creating a tonally cascading soundscape of guitar strums and Omnichord notes that sounds like the equivalent of surrendering yourself to slumber whilst leaving yourself defenseless to some foreboding, nocturnal threat. There’s also the penultimate track “Os Dells” which features a recurring guitar chord from *Mitch* which reaches a crescendo of sorts around the 2 ½ minute mark. Additionally, we get some psychedelic folk-inspired keyboard work from C.W. which gives the song a somewhat despondent feel when it’s being used.
One track in particular doesn’t incorporate ANY guitar or ukulele work, which is probably the reason why it’s one of my favorite songs on this album! On “Appaloosa Dance”, *Mitch* opens the song with a vibraphone-like, tip-toeing rhythm, which C.W. then compliments by playing a MOOSE HIDE DRUM! Even when both artists are syncing their melodies during the song’s early moments, the overall sound has a tribal – and dare I say, PRIMAL – feel to it. The combination of electronic and non-electronic rhythms is executed so seamlessly, it’s almost hard to tell upon first listen that *Mitch’s* performance on this track was done through the same Casio SA-76 from earlier!
But it’s the mid-point and closer of “Two Waves” that are the most strange and haunting. On the album centerpiece “Invierno Eterno/ Midsky / Robin’s Mantra / Invierno Vuelto” (yet another ambitious C.W. Franz suite), we get a near 11-minute musical journey complete with ambient synth leads, moody guitar performances on the first and second half, ghostly melodies courtesy of C.W.’s willow flute and abovementioned eagle bone whistle, a bit of Tibetan singing bowl and, as I mentioned earlier, some humming and vocalizing from both artists on a few occasions. My one gripe with this song is the indiscernible breaks between its four pieces, particularly around the 3:40 mark where I believe “Midsky” begins, and the rest of the track playing out like one full song without any noticeable transitions. And then there’s the final track “Uma Despedida, Um Retorno” which closes the album on a mysterious, pensive note with its part-tranquil, part-ominous guitar performance, unnerving use of Cherokee flute and oddly soothing (compared to its early usage on the album) rawhide rattle.
As a whole, “The Orange Diamond Sessions: Two Waves (06/04/2022)” is easily the most creative and adventurous “Session” thus far and one whose title is most appropriate, as both C.W. and *Mitch* – whose individual musical style can pretty much stand on their own – constantly find ways to unify their sounds into a cohesive whole. If you’re a fan of both artists, you should definitely seek this collaborative album of theirs out, and if you’ve been enjoying C.W.’s “Sessions” albums thus far, this is truly a solid addition. Here’s hoping we get some more great collaborations out of this series in the near-future!
OVERALL RATING: 7.5 out of 10
Available only on Bandcamp
In this episode of BBB RADIO, Matthew reviews the Nicolas Cage meta-comedy “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” and the Netflix sports drama “Hustle” starring Adam Sandler, and with Ricardo, discuss the series premiere of the MCU TV series “Ms. Marvel” and the ‘epic’ conclusion of the “Jurassic” film series: “Jurassic World Dominion”.
LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE
“The Met” is the newest album from veteran singer/songwriter/guitarist Steven Blane and a follow-up to his 2021 record “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”. Prior to listening to “The Met”, I officially introduced myself to Steven’s music through “Boulevard”, and while I didn’t get a cover of the classic Green Day song of the same name (dumb joke, I know), I was treated to a pleasant helping of mid-tempo, traditional pop ballads. With the exception of “Mother Got my Goose”, an amalgamation of famous nursery rhymes which actually plays out much better than you’d expect, I found myself mentally trying to connect Steven’s vocal deliveries with renowned artists in traditional pop and jazz like Frank Sinatra, Roy Orbison and even Tony Bennett (who recently released the Grammy-winning “Love for Sale”, his final studio album and collaboration with Lady Gaga).
Admittedly, because of their genres, albums like “Love for Sale” usually by-pass my musical radar, despite the big names attached to them and yearly Grammy push. But sometimes, one catches my ear and I find myself really appreciating it, like the 2019 record “Pesci…..Still Singing”, a SHOCKINGLY impressive jazz album from Joe Pesci. Yes, THE Joe Pesci. And I’m happy to say that “The Met” is yet another one that I appreciate….and flat-out ENJOY….even though my progressive taste in music pretty much excludes me from its target audience.
Like “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, “The Met” is a 10-track affair, with two of these tracks (“What If” and “In My Lonely Place”) having their own live-performance videos set in the Silvana music venue in Harlem. In addition, the underlying beauty of this album lies in its songwriting. With regards to records like this, there’s usually a concern that their messages and sentiments may seem too dated, overly simplistic and/or easily scrutinized (like the 2019 version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, performed by John Legend and Kelly Clarkson, for example). Steven wisely and skillfully taps into the essence of what made many traditional pop ballads masterpieces in their own right and applies it to his music through a partly nostalgic and subtly modern perspective. In other words, while there’s a vintage sound to “The Met”, there’s a recurring, contemporary desire to live and love in the way the crooners of yesteryear did on their records, even though the realities of life and love which fueled their work are still truthful and resonant today.
Love is a driving force behind this album and a considerable amount of tracks is centered on its ups and downs. Take the “up” track “Day After New Year’s Eve” which, thanks to its harmonica and piano performances, sounds like the sonic equivalent of snuggling up in a blanket on a cold winter day. On the subject of winter, I really appreciated that moment in the first verse where Steven reminds us that we are, in fact, listening to a modern song by singing “The weather is so frickin’ cold”. It may draw a chuckle or raised eyebrow from the listener, but I honestly can’t think of a much better way to describe just how unbelievably cold the weather clearly is in this song. Along with the snuggly feel it delivers, there’s also a ‘cuddling’ aspect to this track, as Steven sings about the benefit of having that special someone be with you as a new year begins. And believe me, NO ONE really wants to be alone on New Year’s Eve, let alone New Year’s Day, so you should be grateful for that someone being there to sing “Auld Lang Syne” with you.
There’s also “Love Is”, which features some lovely (seriously, they are) sax, pianos and hi-hats, along with some concise musings from Steven on what love is. Though he’s unable to sum up what it truly is (“I guess that’s what love is”) – and honestly, I don’t think ANYONE can – his brief summations on the matter are quite heartfelt (His “Love is the Gee and sometimes it’s the Wizz” is my favorite of these).
And yet he isn’t afraid to show just how painful love can be, as he proves on the appropriately-titled “Love is a Hurting Thing”. Here, he sounds like someone who memorized one too many love songs, dove into a relationship expecting nothing but happiness and came out dejected, angered and alone. Vocal-wise, Steven delivers the most emotive performance on the album, sounding bitter and burdened with every criticism of love he utters (“It’s a dirge you sing / It’s a spider’s sting”).
This track appears directly in the middle of two heartbreak ballads: “In My Lonely Place” and “Mean to Me”. On the former, which features some BEAUTIFULLY disenchanted sax rhythms, Steven sings about his emotional ‘fortress of solitude’. In a noteworthy moment of self-awareness, he mentions a “Sinatra tune (playing) romantically on an old LP”. It’s clear throughout this track that he MISSES this woman, and though it’s less than likely that he’ll win back her trust, he can hold on to the love they shared in this post-breakup retreat of his own creation (“Forever, I’ll never let you go / You’ll be wrapped in my embrace / In my lonely place”).
“Mean to Me”, however, finds Steven at his most depressed and self-deprecating. Over some chilly, jazz/blues production, he accuses his ex of being mean to him by literally kicking him out of the relationship. While he admits he should’ve seen the signs of things falling apart much sooner (“How was I to know / One day you’d wanna go and / leave me holding on in vain”), he already knows things aren’t going to get better (“Well, if that’s the way it’s gotta be / Go on and be mean to me”)
But the best of these heartbreak ballads is easily the bluesy, sax and piano-supported “I Hate Her”. Steven’s emotionally contradictory lyrics echo the way we oftentimes look back at a relationship and the persons who broke our respective hearts. He describes his ex as a “hangover on Sunday” and “a drive to work on Monday”, hating her “sigh” and “dreamy eyes” and “(ruing) the day he found her”; and yet it’s painfully obvious he still loves her.
Thankfully, it’s not all rollercoasters of love with “The Met”. The album kicks off with the aforementioned “What If”, which features this sensual mix of jazz and bolero-mambo production, propelled by some ear-grabbing tenor sax and acoustic guitar melodies. Throughout the track, Steven asks these random, existential questions to the listener like “What if I lived a life I lived before?” and “What if your only suit doesn’t fit?”, and on the second verse, asks his love interest questions related to their relationship (“What if my first glance you didn’t see? What if your first dance was not with me?”) He even throws a few absurdist “What if’s” into the mix like your bed being “an Army cot” and the temperature being “too hot”.
We get another genre crossover in the form of the bolero/jazz/country track “She Danced Like An Angel” on the album’s second half. There’s a notable sultriness throughout, from Steven’s silky smooth vocals to the accompanying pianos and acoustic/electric guitars in the background. The song’s premise is equally sultry and pretty straight-forward as Steven expresses his attraction to a woman who may have ‘intentions’ of her own, as hinted on the ambiguous final line of the song.
From a lyrical standpoint, the title track is closely akin to classic ballads centered on cities and historical landmarks (like Frank Sinatra’s timeless “New York, New York”). With Steven’s musical roots planted firmly in New York, it was only right for him to sing about a landmark there – in this case, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On this track, he invites his love interest to a field trip to the museum and uses extravagant and grandiose historical imagery to describe the wonder and enjoyment to be had there. The end result is a surprisingly charming song which stands as one of the album’s best.
Speaking of classic ballads, the album’s final track “The Best Things in Life Ain’t Free” could be viewed thematically as a tongue-in-cheek version of the Bing Crosby song “The Best Things in Life Are Free”. Its jazzy, breezy production is pleasant on the ears, and Steven delivers a commanding performance here with some truly impressive vocals and smartly-written lyrics (“Happiness may be found on the cheap / But it can be quite expensive to keep / So I hope all your pockets are so very deep”). The mere decision to end the song with “Oh…..no” as opposed to the much-expected “Oh yeah!” is a smart one, and it works as a satisfying full stop to an already satisfying song.
As a whole, I really enjoyed “The Met”. The vocal and instrumental performances are FANTASTIC throughout, the songwriting and subject matter are potent and meaningful, and the record’s overall sound and aesthetic makes for a delightful listening experience. Jazz and traditional pop aficionados will easily gravitate to this, but I will say that if you’re a fan of chilled-out, easy-listening, lounge music, this album deserves to be on your playlist. In short, Steven Blane’s musical trip to “The Met” is absolutely worth it!
OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10
In this episode of BBB RADIO, Ricardo and I review the first three episodes of Amazon Studios’ “The Boys” and the Season 3 premiere of Fox’s “The Orville”, in addition to celebrating the 25th anniversaries of Luc Besson’s “The Fifth Element” and Joel Schumacher’s “Batman & Robin”.
LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE
“The Mahamaya Experience” is the newest project from Mahamaya, the musical brainchild of Indonesian sitarist Ranjit Makkuni. Essentially, this is a part album sampler/part highlight reel of live recordings, demos and current scores serving as an unofficial introduction to Mahamaya’s style, sound and messages.
I say ‘messages’ because while at face value, this short collection of tracks (clocking in at a mere 18 minutes) is a mostly-instrumental affair, there is a substantial amount of spiritual, existential and creative depth resonating from it. Its overarching theme is the concept of ‘non-ego’; being driven by life’s passions and your own passion towards the beauty of life and not by the influence of ‘ego’-based technology and innovation which govern our ever-developing world.
I also say ‘mostly-instrumental’ because we actually get a few vocal-based songs on this project as well. The first of these is the pop-oriented concept track “Village Songs” which features some radiant female vocals, spacey keyboard synths and, as expected, some STELLAR sitar work from Ranjit in the background. Sung from the perspective of a village leader asking her daughter what she learnt from her experiences in the city, “Village Songs” emphasizes on the rejection of mass automation and consumerism (I couldn’t help but see the song’s opening line “We don’t need no big roads” as a subtle tribute to the timeless opening line of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2”) and embracing of traditional, sustainable village living. The end result is a heartfelt and surprisingly upbeat song which stands as one of the album’s most memorable tracks.
Afterwards, we get “Get Off The Glass” which features an odd yet fascinating mix of sitar strums, elements of prog and folk rock (the vocals in particular has a noticeably folk-like approach to their delivery) and jazz, the latter of which appears occasionally in the form of these boisterous horns. But it’s the subject matter that makes this song truly impactful, with its scornful criticism of the negative effects of the digital age – mainly our obsession with computers and the little-to-no concern shown to one’s physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
The last is the two-part closing track “Postpone my Nirvana”, the title of which is easily the most eye-catching on this record. And while this song isn’t the only two-parter on this record, I personally think it would’ve worked better as a solo track instead of the interlude-sized first part and relatively elongated second part that we get instead, simply because the production and lyrics are the same. Gripe aside, “Postpone my Nirvana” utilizes a vibrant combination of sitar, rock-tinged drums, retro keyboards and some rather lovely female vocals to encourage listeners to postpone your own enlightenment until the suffering of others is dissipated.
But it’s not all verbal philosophy and spiritualism on “The Mahamaya Experience”. On the instrumental side of things, Ranjit explores the musical boundaries of the sitar itself, particularly its association with Hindustandi classical music, through some subtle experimentation and improvisational work with ascending and descending scales. Take the brief yet impactful track “Meditations on Major Scales”, where Ranjit plays this major scale in a rhythmic, fast-paced delivery, or “Rag Bag Bhim” where he switches back and forth between minor scales from the songs “Raga Bhimpalasi” and “Raga Bageshree” (made famous by the late, great sitarist Ravi Shankar), both of which exhibit the same notes, albeit in different ascending and descending patterns. The execution itself of “Rag Bag Bhim” is so seamless, it’s almost hard to believe, even as someone unfamiliar with the aforementioned ‘Raga’ songs, that it’s based on two musical compositions. There’s also the highly-entertaining “Come Back My Love” which features this kaleidoscopic and oftentimes nocturnal-sounding mix of bubbly, energetic melodies from Ranjit and four guitarists.
Tabla player Mithilesh Jha makes a remarkable contribution to the album through his complimentary work alongside Ranjit. On the track “Yaman (Conclusion)”, a reprise of the serene, relaxed album opener “Yaman / Lullaby”, Mithilesh brilliantly matches Ranjit’s sped-up, near-intense delivery on the sitar, the combination of which is complimented by the occasional use of Jamaican dancehall-esque drums. But it’s Mithilesh’s performance on the two-part live recording “Love (The Waves of the Here and Now)” – my top favorite song on this project – that truly stands out. The pairing between him and Ranjit is impeccable, as they use their respective musical skills to create a dynamic, oceanic wave-inspired (hence the title) call to action to embrace the ‘form’ of the present as opposed to waiting for things to change to fit your expectations.
As a whole, I really enjoyed and appreciated the ‘experience’ of “The Mahamaya Experience”. There’s enough ideas and material presented in this musical showcase that could be expanded and explored on subsequent songs and projects. In addition, Ranjit and his team did a great job of stimulating the ears, pleasing the spirit and educating the mind of the listener with their unique, forward-thinking and sonically enchanting music. Here’s hoping we get to experience more of Mahamaya’s music in the near-future!
OVERALL RATING: 7.5 out of 10
CHECK OUT MORE OF THE MAHAMAYA EXPERIENCE IN THE LINKS BELOW
https://www.facebook.com/MahamayaExperience/
https://soundcloud.com/mahamayaexperience
AND LISTEN TO THE ALBUM HERE:
BBB RADIO 