Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Written by: J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen

Its kind of unnecessary to reiterate the plot of Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring, so I’ll get straight to what I thought. I present to you, a review from someone who hasnt read the books:

The GOOD:

Very nice visuals, incredible landscapes, kingdoms. These worlds can’t be beat for their beauty. The hobbit world was less expensive by the looks of it, but was actually my favorite.

The introduction of Gandalf at the beginning of thefilm worked well. He appeared likeable, a character toreally get behind. His entire sequence with BilboBaggins was very good.

Bilbo himself and the development of his character over the short time he was in the movie was a highpoint. Hell, the entire opening narration sequence and the first twenty minutes up until the Wizard Fight scene were fantastic. Top notch.

The look of the creatures, especially Balrog, were very nice. Creatures to rival the apes in Planet of the Apes. Good job.

The Gollum was very neat looking, and seemed very interesting. It’s my understanding he will be more prominent in the next two installments.

The special effects when Frodo puts the ring on ie. the windy world - this is about as dark as the film really got in my opinion and these moments and the story with the Ringwraiths was about the last few moments I cared about the movie, which leads us to:

The BAD: (here’s where you all turn on me)

There are so many characters that they arent reallydeveloped very well. Gandalf gets more and moreignored as more people are introduced to the pointwhere I didn’t care when he died. Not at all. The newcharacters weren’t all that interesting, that is, asthey were called by the neighboring moviegoers (try toconnect them with their characters): Triple H, Jesus,Faggot Hood, Agent Smith, Professor Arturo, ArmageddonBitch, Goonies Fatty.

The Wizard Fight looked absolutely ridiculous.

So many closeups of the hand holding the ring. So many moments where characters look deep into each others eyes as they recite their lines in pseudo-Shakespearean manner. Boring.

Special effects when Cate Blanchetts character goes crazy - looks like Bride of Frankenstein.

So many color filters. what is this, Pitch Black? At least then they explained why this was going on!

The cheesy teasing at character deaths. Frodo almost died how many times? Its hard to take anything as a threat when you keep teasing that way, to the point where when Gandalf bit the big one, I didn’t believe he was really gone. Near the end there were more dragged out death sequences, to the point I was ready to scream “Will you just die already!”

The ring has a personality of its own, like the house in the Shining. That should be a good thing, but the ring doesnt become any more a threat by the end of the film than it already is at the beginning. Sad, because the ring had more personality than any of the other characters.

The comic relief wasnt very comical.

The overall story. I know odyssey movies, I like odyssey movies, and I’ve seen enough odyssey movies to spot a bad one. This one, is a bad one. When all is said and done, Peter Jackson will have spent 9 hours to throw a ring into a volcano. Its not easy to get excited about that. I’m not going to the next two films. I wasn’t rewarded for my patience with this film, when it was over, I and others sighed with relief, walking away with nothing. I spent the majority of the film with the famous line from the Simpsons in my head: “When are they going to get to the fireworks factory?”

I didnt find any of this underlying theme of spirituality that many told me about.

So now, maybe these Tolkien books are good. I dont know, I havent read them. Maybe Tolkien has a descriptive power or theres great dialogue and such that was clipped from the film. Perhaps this film is the dream companion piece that Tolkien fans wanted, a visual to go along with the descriptions - and the two help each other make sense. I know for example, that say, the Outsiders makes a hell of a lot more sense when you read the book. All I know is that as a person unfamiliar with Tolkien, I was not given the “new Star Wars”, I wasnt presented with characters I could get behind, and I wont watch this film again or go see any of the other installments. I’m looking around and I’m eeing more and more that I’m not alone, and this is indeed, like Titanic before it, one of those films critics think they’re SUPPOSED to like, and qualify their good reviews with the technical acheivements behind it, rather than by how much they actually enjoyed the film.

Thumbs down. — The Pretentous Goon

The Plus Ones/The Travoltas - Going Dutch
(Asian Man)

This is a fun little release for all fans of the power-pop and/or pop-punk genres. (Is there a difference?) Asian Man Records and Coldfront Records have combined forces to bring us 3 tracks from San Francisco’s The Plus Ones, and 3 tracks from The Travoltas, who, oddly enough, hail from The Netherlands (thus giving the oh-so-clever title of this EP). It seems that John Travolta (along with many other washed up actors such as David Hasslehoff) still has a dedicated following over in Europe. Weird.

I must say that although this EP is short, it’s also pretty damn sweet.

The Plus Ones songs play exactly like something you would expect to hear on Lookout! Records. The Queers, Pansy Division, and The Groovie Ghoulies all come to mind immediately when hearing these catchy teen anthems. (The involvement of an ex-member of Mr. T Experience may have something to do with this.) The music is bouncy and energetic, and yet they also show a certain amount of restraint with their stripped down guitar sound. The emphasis is on the vocal harmonies as opposed to the guitar riffs, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that, considering that they sing quite well. It just means that this band will make you want to politely nod your head to the music, as opposed to say, beating the crap out of the person beside you.

As enjoyable as The Plus Ones’ tracks are, The Travoltas easily upstage them on this record. Both bands clearly come from the same school of power pop, but The Travoltas are much more straightforward in their delivery. They rock faster and harder than The Plus Ones, filling in the gaps with searing guitars and a thundering rhythm section. Of course, they also have plenty of their own catchy Beach Boys-esque vocal melodies to hook you as well.

There is one inexplicable detail regarding The Travoltas’ half of the album however. They seem to have a kidnapped a member of The Hanson Brothers to do the Ramones-style count-ins for two of their songs. I’m not exactly sure how one goes about kidnapping a member of The Hanson Brothers, but I do know that you’d have to be a pretty tough customer in order to do it.

I guess it just goes to show that The Travoltas are bad ass. And you know what else? This little EP is bad ass too. Clap your hands, nod your head and do whatever else you gotta do to get into this record. It may be only 15 minutes long, but hey, that’s 15 minutes of rock that you don’t want to pass up. — Sean

Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Written by: J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen

It’s been a long, long time coming, but finally, the live action version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novel The Lord Of The Rings has arrived. So was it worth the wait? In a word… yes. In a few words… every damn minute of it. I am happy to say that the film lives up to all of the hype, and I am surprised to find that most of the critics would agree with that statement. Many literary critics would dismiss Tolkien’s work as “fluff”, and I had expected the film to be regarded in the same light. Thus far, however, I have heard nothing but positive comments.

After seeing the movie, I now understand why this is. There is simply no way to find fault in a production this ambitious; a cinematic endeavour that attempts tells a story so grand, and succeeds. The movie is overwhelming from start to finish, and at its conclusion, you are reminded that it is merely the first of a three part story. The movie’s flaws seem so miniscule in the broader perspective that they are hardly worth mentioning.

Granted, the book that the movie is based on is quite overwhelming in itself. In writing the Lord Of The Rings, English professor J.R.R. Tolkien created an elaborate fantasy world called Middle-Earth, in which to base his story. It is easy to see how Tolkien’s hardcore fans can become utterly consumed by all the detail and beauty of Middle-Earth, even moreso now that it is brought to life on a screen in front of us. It’s a wonderful place inhabited by many magical creatures, each with their own physical characteristics, language, and detailed race history, myths and legends.

The film is about 3 hours long, but in my mind this isn’t without good reason. Tolkien fans will be pleased to find that there are no shortcuts taken in telling the story. By this I do not mean that it is translated word for word as it was written in the book, because there were a number of small omissions and alterations made to the story for various reasons (for example, the love story between Arwen and Aragorn is written in, and Tom Bombadil’s chapters were left out). I simply mean, that the events in the book were not significantly modified for the purposes of turning this into a more easily digestable mainstream flick.

Now, some may argue that shortcuts were necessary.The movie is long, yes, and I suspect that it will feel a little too long to many of those who have not read the book. (Not unlike my own experience of another recent movie about a certain young sorcerer.) From an outsider’s point of view, the events in the Fellowship Of The Ring may seem arbitrary and more extended than necessary. One must keep in mind, however, that there are still 2 more movies to come, and they are needed in order to put this first one in the proper context.

I cannot dispute the fact that both the book and the movie are more than a little self-indulgent, but they are such wonderfully imaginative works that it should not be held against them.It seems that both Tolkien and Jackson were too attached to the material to cut down on the length of these works. Fortunately, they are not the only ones attached to it, and I imagine most Tolkien fans will be willing to accept any drawn out scenes simply because of the fact that each additional moment is equally as compelling as the one that came before it.

The casting is almost perfect. There are a number of talented, big name actors involved, and they are mostly quite fitting. However, the recognition of some of these actors does at times draw you out of the story. For instance, Hugo Weaving reminded me more of Agent Smith from The Matrix than he did Elrond, and Sean Astin just looked like… well, a chubby version of the dude from The Goonies. But Elijah Wood is perfect as Frodo, Ian McKellan is an ideal Gandalf, and Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan bring to life the characters of Pippin and Merry in a way that I could never have envisioned. All of the actors deliver their lines with great care and conviction. Even Liv Tyler manages to portray a nobility and gracefulness befitting of her character, the beautiful elf-princess Arwen.

The scenery, the costumes, and the special effects are all outstanding. Middle-Earth comes to life before our very eyes, in a way that most of us never thought possible. The various races and creatures look believable and have only subtle physical characteristics that set them apart. The hobbits look very much as I personally thought they should, and with the use of some visual trickery, they are made to look much shorter than their human and elven companions. I did, however, think they could stand to be a little chubbier; after all, we hear them constantly asking about meal times, but they do not really look like folks who eat two breakfasts and two dinners every day.

The orcs and other monsters look grotesque and horrid… in other words, they are fantastic! They look exactly like the types of gross things you might see in some of director Peter Jackson’s earlier low-budget horror flicks, and this is no coincidence as Jackson brought his own special effects crew on board to do prosthetics and make-up for the film.

Jackson may seem an odd choice to direct a blockbuster of this magnitude, but his cult filmmaking background brings some very relevant expertise to the movie. The Lord Of The Rings contains many elements of horror and suspense, and definitely has a gruesome aspect to it. The act of chopping up orcs and goblins should be a messy affair, after all, and Jackson pulls no punches here. However, he is also careful not to emphasize or glorify the gore, as you would in a horror movie. The action scenes are often violent, executed quickly and efficiently in the style of such films as Gladiator. In this way, nothing is ever in front of your eyes long enough for it to look fake.

Also, likely due to his low budget roots, Jackson is not overly reliant on computer graphics. There is still an overwhelming amount of computer generated visual effects in the Lord Of The Rings, but Jackson seems to instinctively know when it is best to use more “old-fashioned” special effect techniques. On the whole, the computer generated portions are much less conspicuous than the ones used in Star Wars Episode 1, and the movements of the computer generated creatures (such as the Cave Troll in the Mines of Moria) look more realistic than just about any I’ve seen before. If I were to issue one minor complaint regarding the effects, it might be that the image of Sauron that we see in the flashback scenes with Isildur has an uncanny resemblance to something you might see in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Somehow, it did not seem nearly evil enough. In fairness though, it is difficult to visualize a physical form for Sauron, since I don’t think he was ever really described by Tolkien in the books.

Peter Jackson was also the perfect man to direct the film because he is a huge fan of the Lord Of The Rings, and it shows. There is so much attention to detail in this film that it will make your head spin. Jackson also surprised me with the amount of artistic flair that he exhibited here. The lighting and the cinematography are just beautiful, even if he did go a little overboard with the coloured filters.

As you can probably tell by now, I am sold on this movie. The question is, did they manage to bridge the gap between the people who have read The Lord Of The Rings and the people who haven’t? The people who have read the book are probably already committed to see all three films (I know I am), but the non-readers need to be appropriately introduced to Tolkien’s work, and then subsequently hooked so that they will be interested in what happens next. Does the Fellowship Of The Ring succeed on that level? I think it does, but I do not believe that everyone who sees it will be won over.

Certainly there are plenty of people to whom this movie will not appeal in the least. If you think that mention of elves and dwarves and wizards and hobbits sounds goofy and childish, or if you have a hard time keeping a straight face when hearing an Old English/Shakespearean style of dialogue, or if you have no appreciation for the concepts of courage, romance and honour, then you may not be able to buy into the dramatic events that occur in this movie. And if you can’t take it seriously, then you will not be able to sit through 3 hours of it, much less want to come back for 6 more.

Not having read the book, however, is not reason enough to be intimidated by the film. In fact, this gives a certain advantage, as the non-reader will not have any preconceived ideas as to how each character should look and act. The large cast of characters may seem confusing (particularly with some similar sounding names as as Saruman and Sauron), and I know that some people may not have the patience to try to digest all the elaborate details of Middle-Earth and its history. However, the movie opens with a 10 minute prologue that nicely summarizes the history of the ring, which should be enough to help newcomers get their bearings. In general I think that (if one pays attention) the story itself is not hard to follow, and the important characters are given enough screen time for you to learn to distinguish between them. The stage has been perfecly set for what is to follow.

Seeing this film has cast aside any doubts I had about adapting the Lord Of The Rings trilogy for the big screen. The only uncertainty that remains in my mind is the matter of coming up with a worthy encore. This may prove to be a more difficult task than producing The Fellowship Of The Ring. All three movies were shot simultaneously, so this gives a strong indication that the same care and effort was put into the other two films as well. The problem, I think, is that the second and third parts to the Lord Of The Rings are not quite as interesting as the first. They do not give the same experience of mystery and suspense as the story unravels itself, and they are not so much focused on the characters as they are the events that happen to those characters. Yet, there are many characters that have larger roles to play still, and I anxiously await their moments in the spotlight.

The Fellowship Of The Ring brings to life Tolkien’s world in a way that is gripping, moving, and downright glorious. It aims high, and it hits the mark. The film does have flaws, and cheesy moments (glimpses of Peter Jackson’s roots shining through perhaps?), but when all is said and done, these are not the images that remain in my mind.

There are few films that can compare to something of this magnitude, and there is but one word I can think of to describe it: epic. Sure, people throw that word around all the time, but you will need to see the film to realize just how well it defines what the Lord Of The Rings is all about. It is the ultimate good versus evil story.

One of the film’s greatest accomplishments is the fact that it does not dumb down anything for the non-Tolkienites, and yet this is also what will prevent The Lord Of The Rings from becoming a pop culture phenomenon of Star Wars’ proportions. It will not, however, prevent it from getting respect. In all likelihood there will be a number of Oscars in store for this film, and although 2001 has been a pretty dismal year for movies, this should not stop The Fellowship Of The Ring from getting the praise it deserves. It is a masterpiece on many different levels, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. — Sean

Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
(Dreamworks)

My question is this: How does a band manage to write music that is so catchy and painfully radio-friendly while still maintaining their high indie-rock credibility? Jimmy Eat World are a band that I happen to dig, but I find myself having to constantly reaffirm that fact everytime I listen to their music. There are times when they come uncomfortably close to sounding like your stereotypical commercial rock band, but hey, isn’t that what this “emo” thing is all about anyways? In the end, the songs are just too damn catchy for me to second guess.

Bleed American could definitely be the album that thrusts Jimmy Eat World into the mainstream. The fact that they are on Dreamworks means that they have been getting a huge marketing push, and this record is extremely low-priced even in the corporate record stores. The only thing holding them back from stardom is the fact that they don’t have a gimmick. They simply play melodic pop rock songs, and that’s about it. They’re pretty average looking dudes. I happen to like this fact, and I happen to like the fact that they don’t take themselves too seriously. I also must admit that I happen to like this album.

The title track opens the album with a bang. It has a heavier guitar sound than anything I’ve previously heard from them and could potentially have made them popular with the rap-metal crowd if the singing was a little less pretty. I was rather dumbfounded to hear this song being played in the background of an NFL highlight reel on TV, but even then, I still found myself tapping my feet to the rhythm.

Song number two, “A Praise Chorus” is perhaps my favourite song on the album. Catchy and upbeat, it rivals any other J.E.W. song I’ve heard.

Song number three, “The Middle”, is the new single, and as much as the video makes me want to puke, the vocal melodies betray my churning stomach.

As I continue through the other songs on the album, I realize that it’s all pretty good. Other highlights include the song “Sweetness”, with its swirling “whoa-oa-oa”s and alternating stop/start guitar attacks, the duelling guitar riffs in “Get It Faster”, as well as the slow and dreamy “Cautioners”, which is driven by a strangely addictive offbeat rhythm.

The more I listen to Bleed American, the more I get sucked in by the pop hooks and crunchy guitars. Even the cheesiest slow songs had me wanting to hum along after a couple of listens. The lyrics are as lame and empty as anything I’ve heard, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I do not care.

As far as Jimmy Eat World records go, this one is not as good as Clarity, but it definitely comes close. If you can block out the thoughts of mainstream rock and MTV airplay, then by all means, go ahead and indulge yourself. It’s a great record. Just remember, Jimmy Eat World could very well be the next big thing, my friend, so you better be ready to defend your listening habits when the times comes. — Sean

Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker (DVD)
Directed by: Curt Geda
Written by: Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami
Featuring The Voices Of: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Will Friedle, Dean Stockwell, Michael Rosenbaum, Melissa Joan Hart

Over the years, Batman has proven himself to be among an elite group of comic book characters who have managed to penetrate every aspect of our popular culture. He has existed for as long as most people can remember, and yet, every time a new comic book series or TV series is launched, people can’t get enough of him.

This is all quite amazing, when you consider some of the crap that has had the Batman name tacked on it over the last few years. As amusing as it was to see Arnold wearing blue face paint and repeating the catch phrase “Chill!” over and over, you have to admit, that last Batman movie just sucked.

But for every Joel Schumacher project that has tainted the Batman legacy, there is also another project somewhere else that has held true to Batman’s fundamentals. In fact, for the past 10 years or so, the animation department over at WB has been keeping busy, quietly creating compelling stories that are every bit worthy of the Dark Knight’s name. Batman: The Animated Series, and The Adventures of Batman & Robin have won numerous awards for their artistic merit, and have garnered critical acclaim among Batman’s most dedicated fans. Many would argue that their feature length animated films, “Mask of the Phantasm” and “Sub-Zero” are better than any of the Batman live-action movies were.

Yet, despite all of the praise that they have received for their animated Batman shows, when Warner Brothers announced that they were going forward with a futuristic Batman spin-off series, no doubt many fans were worried that the situation was taking a turn for the worst.

The idea behind the new series, called Batman Beyond, is that it is set approximately 50 years in the future. Bruce Wayne is now an old man, who has since retired from crime-fighting when he realized that he was no longer strong enough or quick enough to protect himself from super-villains. Through a sequence of events, he comes into contact with a teenager named Terry McGinnis, who eventually earns his respect and the right to wear the suit of Batman. Of course, 50 years from now, you wouldn’t expect Batman to still be using something as archaic as a “utility belt”, now would you? There is a new, futuristic Batman suit that allows Terry to do things that the original Batman could never dream of, such as fly with the help of rocket boots and retractable wings, eavesdrop using fingertip microphones, and analyze chemicals using hand sensors. Also, one of the cool things about the show is the fact that Bruce Wayne stays involved in Terry’s crimefighting exploits. Using a communications link that is built into the suit Bruce is able watch the action on a video screen in the Batcave, and talk to Terry as he goes about his business.

Thankfully, Batman Beyond is produced by the same team that worked on Batman: TAS, and this makes all the difference in the world. Batman Beyond features the same focus on character development and the same high quality animation that Batman: TAS had, and it really does manage to maintain the high standards that Warner Brothers have previously set for themselves. But while the Batman Beyond animated series is admittedly quite impressive, it has been proven that the feature length animated movies are where the producers really excel, as the cinematic format gives them the freedom to deliver a more involved story and to adopt a more serious tone.

This is why, when I heard that they were making a feature length Batman Beyond movie, I made a note to myself to check it out on the day that it finally hit theatres. Unfortunately, that day never came. The release of Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker was held up due to complaints from the Warner Bros. management about the content of the film. Apparently they perceived it to be a tad too violent for the kiddies, and, taking into account the political climate at the time, they decided it would be best if Bruce Timm and Paul Dini went back and re-edited some parts of the film. Needless to say, this caused quite an uproar among the fans.

Although Batman Beyond functions quite well in its own self-contained universe of characters and villains, there are still a few references to the past. One such reference point is the street gang called “The Jokerz”. However, for this movie, Dini and Timms decided that they would need a slightly more spectacular villain for Batman to go up against.

In the world of comic books, death is rarely a permanent situation, and, as the title implies, Return Of The Joker involves the supposed resurrection of Batman’s greatest foe, The Joker. However, the sudden return of the Clown Prince is seemingly unexplainable, as he would be over 80 years old by now, not to mention the fact that Bruce Wayne saw him die a long time ago. The plot of the movie is thrust forward as both Bruce and Terry search for an answer as to how this is possible. In Terry’s case, there is also a search going on for information relating to the Joker’s background, which Bruce refuses to tell him.

Despite that tired and overused “resurrection” plot, the film succeeds due to solid writing that focuses on the characters. I really like how they portrayed the Joker’s character here. Despite Terry’s initial indifference to the villain, he eventually comes to realize that he is a dangerous psychopath rather than just a corny prankster. The Joker has long been one of Batman’s most fun adversaries, because he walks the line between insanity and cunningness, and balances between playfulness and sheer cruelty.

The movie features awesome voice acting, including Mark Hamill, who has always seemed to me to do the Joker way better than ol’ Jack ever could. Kevin Conroy voices Bruce Wayne, and does an outstanding job, as he has always done in the past. I was quite surprised to see that Henry Rollins also does a voice for one of the bad guys.

The mystery surrounding the Joker’s return was great and it had me hooked all the way through. I just wish they could have come up with a slightly more realistic explanation for his return from the dead. I won’t give it away, but it felt like a bit of a cop out.

The final showdown was enjoyable, but in the end it does seem a little cheapened by the fact that it’s only the new Batman going up against the Joker. The highlight of the movie was easily the flashback sequence in the middle of the film that shows Bruce Wayne as Batman and Barbara Gordon as Batgirl facing off against The Joker in the abandoned Arkham Asylum. It reinforces the classic dark, vengeful Batman character, and shows one of the Joker’s most twisted, inhuman schemes of all time.

Visually the movie is very slick and stylish, and manages to keep the gothic elements of the shadowy Batman world while also putting a futuristic spin on them.The action scenes were highly energetic, and quite violent, despite all of the editing that was done. The drop D metal soundtrack suits the atmosphere well, even if it is sometimes a little over the top.

Although Return Of The Joker never made it to theatres, the DVD format gives the next best thing to a theatrical release. The video is crisp, clear and colourful, and the Dolby 5.1 sound shakes the room just like a Batman movie should. What I especially like about the DVD release is that they treat the film as a serious production, as opposed to a childish cartoon intended only for kids. For once, here is an animated DVD (aside from anime) that actually gives you features that you would get in a regular film, as opposed to stupid interactive kid’s games. Well, I shouldn’t say that… you still get a Batman Beyond trivia game, but you also get a full audio commentary with Dini and Timms, along with a 20 minute featurette/ behind the scenes documentary, and animatics and storyboards for a few deleted scenes.

Of course, it’s not perfect. It would have been cool to have the uncut version available, and maybe even in widescreen format. But overall, I can’t complain. I’m not going to whine about having some of the violence censored like all the other Batman fanboys out there. Sure, you can notice a few awkward looking cuts in the fight scenes, but the story is still intact, and when it comes down to it, that is what really matters.

Most people would say that Batman is a timeless character, with traits that appeal to audiences today just as much as they did audiences from 50 years ago. However, it is clear that he has also gone through many different changes and transformations over the years. I’d have to say that for the most part, this latest incarnation of Batman works, and works well.Return Of The Joker is the ultimate showcase for the Batman Beyond series. It compliments the TV series quite well, and yet it also functions effectively as a standalone movie. Most importantly, it maintains a sense of integrity by using characters and themes that are at the very core of the Batman story. Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker is a must for any fans of Batman, or any fans of animation in general.– Sean

Sloan - Pretty Together
(murderecords)

Early reports that the new Sloan album would be a return to the days of Smeared proved to be completely false with the release of this record. Supposedly, the only connection between the new album and Smeared was in the similarity of the songwriting process the band used for both albums. Within a few seconds of listening, it is clear that the songs on Pretty Together sound nothing like the distortion heavy, feedback drenched pop songs that first catapulted Sloan to stardom.

No, as a matter of fact, this record is just what I would expect from Sloan at this point in their careers. They continue to submerge themselves in old 70’s rock and nostalgia, and to be honest, the whole thing is starting to seem really pretentious. Sloan were at their best when they were writing fun, catchy Beatle-esque tunes, but more and more they are starting to seem like boring old farts who are just trying really hard to seem hip.

Take the cover artwork for instance. I suppose it could be seen as a tasteful indication of the serene and shimmering soundscapes contained on the album. Then again, maybe it just shows a group of aging shaggy-haired dudes watching the sunset over their careers.

The songs on Pretty Together generally have a mellow, dreamy feel to them. This, in itself, is not necessarily a bad thing. The album cannot be dismissed simply because it is mellow; after all, some of the best Sloan songs are slow numbers, and I do, in fact, feel that this album has some worthwhile moments on it. The vocal harmonies on “The Great Wall”, the orchestral-sounding instrumentation in “Who You Talkin’ To?”, and the subtle moog near the end of “It’s In Your Eyes” are all highlights.

The songs that seem cheesy and forced, though, are the few slightly more straight-ahead rock tunes, like “Pick It Up And Dial It” and the album’s first single, “If It Feels Good Do It”. Now, if that song title’s not a feeble attempt to grasp at one’s lost youth, I don’t know what is.

It’s seemingly difficult to discuss the flaws in this album without bordering on nitpicking territory. I will say that the production kind of bugs me, in particular the overdone vocal effects. Also, the songs seem to lack satisfactory endings. They either trail off aimlessly, or abruptly stop just when it seems like they are about to make some sort of transition. This makes many of the songs seem incomplete and wasted.

The last two Sloan albums took a while to grow on me, but in the end, I learned to appreciate them. I have now given Pretty Together ample time to set in, but it still has yet to grab me in any way. I don’t think that’s because it’s a horrible record, but I do think that it is somewhat dull, and certainly not as much fun as the Sloan I once knew. I guess you can’t expect a band to stay the same forever, but is it unreasonable to ask them to avoid getting old? I didn’t think so. — Sean