In this week’s episode, Matthew and Ricardo review the first half of the second season of the animated superhero series “Invincible”, the newest Disney animated feature “Wish”, the unexpected and unnecessary “Good Burger 2” and the Ridley Scott-directed historical biopic “Napoleon”.
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In this week’s episode, Matthew and Ricardo discuss Diddy’s allegations centered on his ex-partner Cassie Ventura, the surprise instrumental album from Andre 3000 “New Blue Sun”, the first two episodes of Apple TV’s MonsterVerse TV series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”, the Netflix animated series “Onimusha” and “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off”, the blaxploitation-inspired Western “Outlaw Johnny Black” and the Hunger Games prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”.
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A few months ago on my podcast, I reviewed the surrealist dark comedy “Beau is Afraid”, the third feature film from writer/director Ari Aster, best known for “Hereditary” and “Midsommar”, two of the best horror films of the past decade. Easily one of the most divisive movies of 2023, “Beau is Afraid” follows the journey of Beau Wasserman (played brilliantly by “Joker” and “Napoleon” himself Joaquin Phoenix) from the crime-riddled city he calls home to the estate where his mother’s funeral is being held. Along the way, his over-heightened anxiety and paranoia are challenged in a series of bizarre, terrifying and oddly humorous scenarios. Though I came out of the film perplexed by its strangeness and disappointed at the character growth of Beau (this isn’t a spoiler per se, but he is LITERALLY AFRAID throughout the entire film), I admired the effort put into making me FEEL the fears, real and imaginary, Beau faces and endures.
I bring this up – just in case you thought you were actually reading a movie review – because I couldn’t help but think of that film with every spin I gave “Alpha and Omega: Beginning and Ending”, the newest record from Chicago singer/producer/multi-instrumentalist C.W. Franz. Like his March-released album “American Darkness”, cited in the album’s Bandcamp liner notes as ‘the closest reference point’, “Alpha and Omega” is inspired by current events which clearly left C.W. feeling uneasy. Stylistically, it draws inspiration from the idiosyncratic Houston lo-fi folk singer Jandek and English experimental music group Current 93, the latter of whom is associated with neofolk or apocalyptic folk.
And on the surface, “Alpha and Omega” feels apocalyptic. It’s as if we’re hearing the whispered (more on that in a bit) ramblings of a man waiting for the end of the world to occur. The music, performed in a raw, stripped-down fashion by C.W. through the use of his trusty custom soprano cigar box guitar, sounds bleak and haunting. But underneath it all, and this is why I kept thinking about “Beau if Afraid”, this album effectively articulates the fear of both the inside and outside world.
C.W., or at least the Jandek and Current 93-inspired ‘character’ he plays on this record, is afraid of both death and life. He knows he’ll eventually die so the fear of death is natural in a sense, but he also seems scared of taking chances, accomplishing goals and handling responsibilities in his existing life. Through a series of fragmented spoken word passages, he references those who faced death or faced some insurmountable odd and ponders on how their lives and deaths impacted the world he’s afraid to face. And while it’s easy for C.W. on this album to stay hidden in the abyss he calls his comfort zone, staying there for too long can become terrifying to someone who’s constantly afraid.
Getting into the main flaw of “Alpha and Omega”, I felt that bits of C.W.’s hushed vocals were inaudible on some of the album’s eight tracks. Given the frightening and frightened nature of the record, C.W.’s delivery is totally justified, but a tweak or two to the mixing of his vocals would have made them sound clearer and more tonally effective. Thankfully, this is a Bandcamp exclusive and as such, lyrics are provided for each song. And for me, the key to understanding this record – or at least coming up with your interpretation of it – lie in these lyrics.
On the opening track “I. An Entrance”, where the groundwork of the album is instantly established through C.W.’s skeletal guitar strums and manic microtones, we hear this lyrical rumination on the realization, sudden for some, that we’re all destined to die. In the second verse, C.W. references a section of the classic John McCrae poem “In Flanders Fields”, a eulogy to the soldiers who died in Belgium and France during World War I. The following track “II. Inklings of Nihil” finds C.W. pondering on the bold actions and decisions made by figures both historical like Shadrach and Abednego (Meshach isn’t mentioned) who, in the biblical Book of Daniel, were untouched by the flames of Nebuchadnezzar II’s furnace that they were cast to, or ordinary like those who died without fully grasping God’s redemptive power.
As simple as it is, the chord progression that drives “III. Hymn for the Corrupted” is one that’ll stay with me for a LONG while. I really enjoyed how the instrumentation became less skeletal and more melodic around the midpoint of the track, and then skeletal again near the end. Lyrically, C.W. continues his philosophical thoughts on God by examining the image of the Holy Ghost and the fear His presence brings to the sinful. On “IV: An Omen”, the longest track on the album, C.W. shifts his focus to humanity and the beliefs we hold on to in order to justify our existence in a cold and cruel world. The song opens with the ceremonial-like use of a Tibetan singing bowl, which actually brings a sense of respite to the tension built on the album at that point. After that, we’re treated to a disquieting soundscape supported by some dark, existential lyrics which add up to arguably the album’s most haunting song and one of the most haunting compositions C.W. has ever released.
The mood gets bleaker on “V: The Failed Acolyte”, a song that, given its subject matter, instantly brought to mind his compelling, Holy Thursday-released project “The First Eschaton”. And thematically, C.W.’s profound look at the significance behind Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday would’ve fit perfectly in that album’s 25-minute suite “Trial of the Nazarene / Golgotha / The First Eschaton”. If “IV: An Omen” is the album’s most haunting song, “V: The Failed Acolyte” is its creepiest. From the way its instrumentation plays uninterrupted for roughly 2 minutes before C.W. even utters a word to the way C.W. himself recites this spoken word passage in a dry, sardonic type of way. And DON’T get me started on the melodies that play after the song’s final line! If you scare easy, this song is DEFINITELY for you!
The album’s final leg begins with the interlude “VI: An Entrance Revisited”, a music-free interlude which reiterates the opening track’s main theme of being born into death. As C.W. states, the moment we’re conceived, we enter this dark world, and if we stayed a day longer in our mother’s womb, our entry into this world would’ve been more problematic. In other words, we’re all forced out of our respective comfort zone to face the world – inevitably – on our own. C.W. adds an extra layer of irony to that realization on “VII. Ineffable Enigma” where, after a brief instrumental passage, he says in Greek “The light is on, but it is dark in here”.
C.W. saves his most philosophical piece for last with the final track “VIII: An Exit”. Here, he imparts some words of wisdom to those who’re scared to go out, face the world and live life to the fullest. He informs us that there’ll be moments that will change us, and we oftentimes wish we could’ve changed the outcomes of some of them. And then he drops the missing piece of the puzzle which encompasses this album: “Permanence is a fallacy”, which is indeed true even though we hate to admit that. As the world changes, you too will change, and when we do confront the fears that hold us back, we’ll be changed. The instrumentation presented on this track sounds immensely relaxed, dissipating the album’s built-up tension in the process. There’s a moment near the end of C.W.’s spoken word piece where he says “Come in, the tea is boiling. We have a lot to discuss, my grandson”, which I interpreted as a reminder of how the older generation can impart much-needed advice to us on life and its peaks and valleys. But keep in mind that even though you’re invited to come inside, you’re not supposed to STAY inside for the rest of your life. Eventually, you have to take these teachings and put them to practice OUTSIDE, as suggested in C.W’s final quatrain. Bringing the song and album to a satisfyingly relieved close is a single strike to the Tibetan singing bowl, signifying the end of the terror.
On its Bandcamp page, “Alpha and Omega: Beginning and Ending” is described as being “not for the faint of heart or spirit”. And I must say, C.W. is absolutely right! It’s certainly darker than… well… “American Darkness”, although I still think “C.W. Franz VI” is his darkest work yet. But this album comes at a close second thanks to its chilling meditations on life, death and the ironies and hypocrisies in-between, and the relentlessly sparse, discordant and unnerving use of the custom soprano cigar box guitar that, dare I say it, I can imagine hearing in the soundtrack of an actual horror film! It’s THAT effective! Like “American Darkness”, it’s a challenging listen and one that will leave an impact on you long after you’ve heard it. And if you manage to “survive the night”, you’ll be rewarded with the encouragement to confront the fears that cripple us to the point of not wanting to live our own lives. Long story short, “Alpha and Omega: Beginning and Ending” is certainly worth checking out – and it’s worth listening to at night as well. Thank me later on that one, if you survive, that is!
OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10
Now available on Bandcamp
In this special, Diwali-recorded episode of BBB RADIO, Matthew and Ricardo, alongside special guest Tracy Hutchings, presents a DOUBLE double feature, where they review the Netflix-released animated series “Blue Eye Samurai” and neo-noir thriller from David Fincher “The Killer”, in addition to the second season of the Marvel Studios TV series “Loki” and the newest MCU film “The Marvels”.
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In this week’s episode, Matthew and Ricardo cover the 2022 EP “Table Talk” from New Jersey rapper Heezy Hines, the newest album from Trinidadian rapper Micwise entitled “The Degree of Difficulty”, the first trailer for MCU’s “Echo” and what it might mean for Marvel Studios going forward, the respective first season and Season 2 premiere of Amazon Prime’s “Gen V” and “Invincible” and the forgettable “Five Nights At Freddy’s”.
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