TV Review: Big Brother – Season 10

September 6, 2009 in Reviews, TV with 3 Comments

Davina McCall and BBLB host George LambIt hasn’t been cool to like Big Brother for a good few years now. Since Nikki, Pete, Aisleyne, Grace et al kept us glued back in 2006 the show has been gradually declining in media coverage, viewership and, arguably, general quality. In fact this year the drop in ratings was so severe that Channel 4 decided against renewing the show beyond next year’s eleventh season.

It’s a shame really, because, surprisingly, Big Brother 10 was one of the best series’ in the show’s history. Not because of dramatic twists or over-complicated tasks, but because of storylines that emerged between the housemates. The tangle of men won over by Irish magnet Noirin was fascinating, the level of rule-breaking was addictively infuriating, and the general concept of super-bitch Bea was just brilliant.

But what really made this series stand out was all the ‘small things’. One-off moments like Lisa and David going into Central London dressed as aliens, the hilarious drunken moments from the adorable Sophie, tantrum-prone Rodrigo “meeting the Queen”, Marcus’, um, “graveyard shift” being interrupted by his mischievous housemates… moments where, for the first time in years, it was actually credible to think of Big Brother as a “social experiment” rather than a heavily staged, ratings-driven television drama. Just leaving well-chosen idiots to get on with it, without too much interference from ratings-hungry producers, does make for good TV.

Sophie ReadeA special mention must also go to the revamped eviction shows, where Davina “So listen…” McCall was joined by two panellists, usually one celebrity viewer and one psychology expert. The views of the “celebrities” were quite hit-and-miss as the weeks went by, but the introduction of the ‘Clever Person’ to the panel was fascinating and provided a real insight into the behaviour the housemates displayed. Judy James, we salute you. But top marks also to Davina, a lady whose presenting style has often divided opinion, for being on remarkably good form throughout. You have to have a heart of stone to not wish her luck when Big Brother comes to an end. 

This year the show received a minimal amount of press coverage, compared to extensive supplements and columns in past years, and that inevitably dented the show’s popularity. The media decided before the series even launched that it was going to flop, but the reality was that it was actually rather brilliant. Perhaps it was the simplicity of the tasks, perhaps it was the nostalgia of its tenth anniversary, or perhaps it was just the selection of well-chosen idiots. Whatever the reason, Big Brother 10 was a strong run, and hopefully BB11 – the last ever series, on Channel 4 at least – will be even better.

4/5

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EP Review: Miley Cyrus – The Time Of Our Lives

August 30, 2009 in Music, Reviews with 1 Comment

The Time Of Our LivesNobody outside of the ‘Hannah Montana’ viewership realistically expected Miley Cyrus’ ‘Breakout’ album to be anything above average, and yet here we are one year later and the plucky 16 year-old Texan just keeps on proving everyone wrong. Some may find her a bit “too Disney”, and she still isn’t completely free of making the occasional error in judgement (performing at a kids’ award ceremony in a revealing outfit and dancing around a pole perhaps wasn’t a high point), but you have to credit the girl for showing all the signs of a potentially brilliant popstar in her own right. Now, as she juggles various film projects and gears up for one final season of the pre-teen TV phenomenon that shot her to stardom, she’s releasing seven-track EP ‘The Time Of Our Lives’ to keep us satisfied until she brings out another ‘proper’ album.

Unfortunately the early signs aren’t promising – opener ‘Kicking and Screaming’ is a cover of – wait for it – an Ashlee Simpson album track. It’s not weak because it’s an Ashlee Simpson album track (although, let’s face it, it was never going to be amazing), but more because it’s just not suited to Cyrus at all. There’s no doubt that Simpson is a far inferior singer, but if you listen to both versions in quick succession it’s obvious that her husky tones are much better suited to this song than the happy-go-lucky pipes of smiley Miley.

The good news however is that once the average opener is out the way, it’s mostly uphill from there. If you don’t take it too seriously, lead single ‘Party In The USA’ is a perfect pop anthem to see out the summer; exactly the type of song Cyrus should be singing, and hopefully the track that will finally bag her a UK Top 10 single. Kudos are also due for the title track; for its cracking chorus, subtle synths, and lyrics that just about manage to stay on the right side of corny. On ‘Talk Is Cheap’ she successfully nails a pop-rock tune without the bubblegum edge that ultimately spoilt previous efforts like ‘7 Things’, and at one point even includes the parent-baiting “so pissed off”. Wild!

As if by law, ‘The Time Of Our Lives’ also comes equipped with a trio of down-tempo tracks to counter-balance the party pop. ‘Obsessed’ and future single ‘When I Look At You’ are both surprisingly affecting – the former nails what it’s like to fall for someone without wanting to, and the latter is a subtly powerful and lyrically mature ballad grown from the same tree as ‘The Climb’. The EP’s finale ‘Before The Storm’, a live duet with a Jonas Brother, feels a bit like a needless bonus track included purely for the sake of it, but solid vocal performances and (relatively) mature lyrics just about save it from ending things on a sour note.

Cyrus had an impressive amount of writing input, and vocally she’s stronger than ever. When Disney starlets declare they want to aim for a more “grown-up” sound, it’s usually a good cue to run for the hills; but here Miley manages to improve her output without taking herself too seriously and without over-compensating on emotional clichés. If ‘The Time Of Our Lives’ is a bridge between ‘Breakout’ and the next full-length LP, then let us be the first to will her back in the studio to churn out that next album as soon as possible.

4/5

Album Review: Jordin Sparks – Battlefield

August 9, 2009 in Reviews with 2 Comments

She struck gold with the ball-busting R’n’B power ballad ‘No Air’, a collaboration with the then-unhated Chris Brown, but Jordin Sparks has yet to really make herself a staple of the modern music scene. Her self-titled debut album landed somewhere just above average, and her other two singles – the brilliant ‘Tattoo’ and the likeable ‘One Step At A Time’ – struggled to come anywhere near the success of that duet. So this, her second album, is really where she has to prove her staying power.

The highlight of Battlefield is, without question, the single of the same name. It doesn’t so much push the right buttons as push all the fucking buttons, as undisputed master of the modern power ballad Ryan Tedder (‘Halo’, ‘Bleeding Love’) throws literally everything into a four-minute explosion of 80s arena-style pop-rock to create what is easily one of the best singles of the year. It really is frustrating that in the UK it’s stalled at No11 on three separate occasions, despite selling more than 124,000 copies.

The rest of the album fluctuates between very good and disappointingly average, but there are plenty of potential hits on here to keep Sparks a chart regular for the time being. Opener ‘Walking on Snow’ is a breezy pop gem and on ‘No Parade’ she gets to really show off that glass-shattering voice of hers. Note also the brilliant ball-busting climax of ‘The Cure’, a highlight that’s criminally tucked away at the end of the album. There are a couple of nods to dance here as well, and these are surprisingly successful – the Shannon-sampling ‘S.O.S. (Let The Music Play)’ could do with a bit of tweaking before its forthcoming release as a single, but it’s an enjoyable high-camp stormer nonetheless; and ‘Emergency (911)’ is really quite brilliant, despite a hilariously random phone-dialling sound effect about thirty seconds in.

But unfortunately what weighs Battlefield down is the amount of tracks that, although far from awful, are somewhat underwhelming and fail to make much of an impression. ‘Watch You Go’ and ‘It Takes More’ are a bit forgettable, ‘Faith’ sounds like a cliché-ridden reject from a Leona Lewis album, and ‘Was I The Only One’ is just plain boring. The problem is that the whole album has been based around the avalanche of praise that met ‘Battlefield’ (the title, the general sound) but unfortunately its nearest sound-a-likes just aren’t strong enough. Interviews suggest that the final track listing was whittled down from a total of thirty recorded songs, and perhaps it would have been a better idea to include a couple of ‘No Air’-style R’n’B tunes over half-arsed pop songs that try, but never will, match the perfection of that title track.

That said, despite the handful of forgettable fillers Battlefield is at least an improvement on last year’s début. This is far from a perfect album, but, at just nineteen years old, there’s plenty of time to perfect Project Sparks yet.

3/5

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Album Review: Demi Lovato – Here We Go Again

July 24, 2009 in Reviews with 6 Comments

Unless you’ve sat through the cringe-worthy Disney cheesefest of Camp Rock, you’re unlikely to know who Demi Lovato is. It’s a shame really, because the half of her 2008 debut Don’t Forget that wasn’t co-written by the Jonas Brothers showed some real promise, and spawned three cracking singles; one of which, the spunky ‘La La Land’, even made a small dent in the charts here in the UK. And now the follow-up is already on the shelves on the other side of the Atlantic, just ten months behind its predecessor.

Here We Go Again opens with a triple-whammy of pop-rock anthems, indicating that despite the potential, Lovato isn’t cutting all ties with her Disney background just yet. The titular lead single is a cuter version of Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Since U Been Gone’, a radio-friendly pop-rock nugget that breaks no new ground whatsoever but is likeable enough to warrant a second listen. ‘Solo’ and ‘U Got Nothin’ On Me’ follow in similar fashion; both boasting relatable lyrics and hints of a raw, edgy quality that could develop into something really special in albums to come. It’s like Lovato has jumped off the Disney boat into a sea of musical genius, but done so attached to a safety rope for fear of drowining. Note especially ‘Quiet’, a track which sounds like it would be alot better without a commercially-conscious record label executive keeping it on a lead.

The mid-album grit of ‘Got Dynamite’ is the closest the album gets to shaking off the Hilary Duff/Vanessa Hugens/Ashley Tisdale stigma altogether. By far the darkest song on the album, it’s the track which best represents the type of music Lovato should be singing. ‘Every Time You Lie’ is completely different but equally outstanding, boasting a jazzier sound not dissimilar to Don’t Forget highlight ‘Behind Enemy Lines’. ‘World of Chances’ (which Lovato wrote with John Meyer) is an endearing down-tempo highlight with lines like “You’ve got the face for a smile, you know?”. One of Lovato’s strongest qualities is her ability to sing like she means it, and this is no better flaunted than on the amazing ‘Catch Me’. A dissarmingly moving confession of being afraid to let your guard down (“I’m falling, but please don’t catch me”), this is the track that deserves to get Lovato noticed, and not just for her vocals – she is the only credited songwriter for this one too.

Unfortunatley the album is not without its duds. ‘Falling Over Me’ amounts to nothing and is actually pretty boring, and ‘Gift Of A Friend’, which opens with a string arrangement reminiscent of a B*Witched ballad, is just plain awful. Some tracks are far from dire but smell a bit like filler – ‘Stop The World’ is considerably lacking in Wow, and ‘Remember December’ never quite lives up to its promising electro-ridden introduction.

Lovato – or rather Lovato’s A&R team – still find it too soon to completely cut away from the Disney-friendly pop-rock that the majority of her fan-base lap up, but this time the sound is alot edgier and the production much more stripped back than her debut. The result is an album that, although not as groundbreaking as it perhaps should be, is at least a step in the right direction. Her voice is powerful but never shouty, her songwriting is honest and believable, and the majority of the music is a breath of fresh air – a bit more tweaking and she’s really on to a winner. She’s not achieved perfection yet, but this is at least the best album ever to be released by a breakout Disney star. Don’t tell Miley.

4/5

Film Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

July 22, 2009 in Film, Reviews with 1 Comment

Seven months late and two years after the last book was published, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince took an impressive £19.7 million at the box office. It’s not surprising really, seeing as throughout the decade Potter films have consistently appealed to thousands upon thousands of movie-goers. But why is such a popular series so often recieved with average reviews and little acknowledgement at prestigious awards ceremonies?

It’s probably because it’s near-impossible to make a cinematic masterpiece out of the franchise without causing major upset to the die-hard fans. Alot has to be cut from the books as it is, and this time horcruxes are reduced to a passing explaination, the character of Scrimgeour is cut altogether, and Ralph Fiennes’ Voldemort is nowhere to be seen. Even so, HBP still feels awfully rushed, and that’s no mean feat for a film that runs to over 150 minutes. Not for the first time in the series, the film just doesn’t feel concise enough to become truly (excuse the cliché) spell-binding. But all things considered, it would be difficult to tell the story any other way without prompting the die-hard fans to stage a boycott. The haunting climax is genuinley chilling whether you know what’s coming or not, and the ending is surprising in just how powerful and moving it is. Don’t be surprised if you need a few tissues.

Patchy story-telling is more than made up for in visual wow-power, which is, frankly, amazing. Some of the cinematography here is more than worthy of an Oscar nod, with some really powerful shots and genuinley awe-inspiring special effects from beginning to end. The real tour-de-force is when Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) parts his self-made battlefield of fire in spectacular Moses-like fashion, but there are so many moments of quality directing that shine through, from passing shots such as Ron (Rupert Grint) falling off the back of a chair in the background of an otherwise normal frame, to full set-pieces, such as when a much-loved Potter institution is destroyed by Death Eaters.

The acting is, as ever, temporamental. The “adult” cast pull their weight effortlessly, especially the ever-deadpan Alan Rickman as Severus Snape and the amazing but criminally under-used Helena Bonham-Carter as nutcase Bellatrix. Daniel Radcliffe still has a tendancy to take acting tips from planks of wood, but at least he gets the chance to show some potential as a comic actor. Bonnie Wright struggles as Ginny, especially with the romantic side of things, which sadly makes for a very cringe-worthy scene where she and the bespectacled one share a kiss. But decent performances are turned in by the reliably funny Rupert Grint (Ron), the blossoming Emma Watson (Hermione), and, most surprisingly of all, Tom Felton. His portrayal of Draco Malfoy takes him out of the realms of cliché school bully and into the meatier territory of tormented anti-hero. The newcomers are of a particularly high standard this time as well, with Jim Broadbent perfect in the role of returning teacher Horace Slughorn, and the young actors playing young and teen Voldemort both giving unnervingly sinister performances.

Director David Yates and his creative team have assumed that the audience are growing up with the characters, and the result is a film that’s as much about teen angst and romance as it is about the witchcraft and wizardry. At times there’s even a hint of sexual tension – note especially a hard-not-to-laugh moment in which on/off love interest Ginny bends down to tie Harry’s shoe-laces. Awkward. But most of the romantic sub-plots are welcome distractions from the otherwise dark and often downright confusing main story, such as newcomer Jessie Cave’s hilarious performance as Ron’s girlfriend Lavender, which is one of the highlights of the whole film. Hermione’s feelings for Ron will be relatable for much of the teenage girl demographic, but the Ginny/Harry romance is treated so messily and performed so woodenly that it’s difficult to really care about them.

The trouble is that a Harry Potter film will never be outstanding, or rather never can be outstanding. Completely re-working the book to make a more Hollywood-friendly production would enrage the bazillion-strong fanbase, but staying strictly faithful to the bulging source material is difficult to translate into an acclaimed cinematic masterpiece. As it is, the franchise is getting by on compromise. Lots is cut, but enough remains to keep the die-hards content; and for Potter amateurs the film is told well enough to still be pleasurable, but risks being horribly confusing in places. Half-Blood Prince is the funniest and best-looking picture in the franchise yet. In terms of plot it feels a more like a prelude to Deathly Hallows than a story in its own right, but with an ending so moving, effects so stunning and performances at their best yet, enough is done to keep fans itching for their next dose in Autumn 2010.

3/5

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Album Review: Little Boots – ‘Hands’

July 13, 2009 in Music, Reviews with 1 Comment

Something’s not quite right about the Little Boots marketing campaign. Named the winner of the BBC Sound of 2009 poll at the beginning of the year, Boots – real name Victoria Hesketh – became one of the most hotly tipped artists in the industry. Instead of using this blaze of publicity as a launch pad, she has instead remained dormant, putting the finishing touches on her debut album whilst not-that-dissimilar newcomers like Lady Gaga and La Roux have fired to the top of the charts in her place. Now all of a sudden the charts are packed with artists aboard the electro-pop bandwagon and poor Hesketh has a lot of work to do to show what all the fuss was about. To top it all off, the fierce critical acclaim has put her in real danger of becoming inaccessible and over-hyped. It’s a shame really, because ‘Hands’, the debut album in question, is easily one of the best albums you’ll hear this year.

Its simplicity is what makes it so brilliant. Hesketh never tries too hard to be clever, she just is. And what really shines through, fluffy as it sounds, is her endearing belief in love. The overwhelming majority of the songs are about relationships, and each one is a lot more accessible than you might think. Across the duration of the album she finds herself falling in love beyond her control (‘No Brakes’), suffers a bit of unrequited love (‘Ghost’), and realises the perfect relationship isn’t so perfect after all (‘Click’). ‘Tune Into My Heart’, a track about long-distance relationships, is one of the most adorable songs in recent memory.

Lead single ‘New In Town’ is a perfect demonstration of Hesketh’s ability to pen a good chorus; and there are so many more of them scattered about the album. Radio-friendly ‘Remedy’, set to be released as the next single, is equally irresistible, and the euphoric ‘Earthquake’ holds the potential to get pop’s harshest critics on the dancefloor.

Hesketh doesn’t voice her heartbreak through Kelly Clarkson style yells or Leona Lewis’ inter-octave leaps; in fact her voice is really quite gentle. It isn’t overly powerful or quirky, but her soft vocals are a perfect match. These are songs that Clarkson and Lewis would probably sound ridiculous on. The critically acclaimed ‘Stuck On Repeat’, released as a promotional buzz single late last year, sets her haunting vocals against a fierce synth-heavy backing to create one of the most original pop songs since Girls Aloud started arranging verses and choruses in bizarre orders.

Since debuting inside the top 5 and swiftly free-falling to the bottom end of the charts, ‘Hands’ has slowly gathered some more upward momentum; an encouraging sign that the genius of Little Boots is beginning to make itself known. With several festival dates lined up and a brilliant new single in the pipeline for the next few weeks, hopefully the long-term career of Project Boots will look a bit more secure in the near future.

5/5

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