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Carrie Brownstein recommended track Told You So by Miguel in War & Leisure by Miguel in Music (curated)

 
War & Leisure by Miguel
War & Leisure by Miguel
2017 | Rhythm And Blues
(0 Ratings)
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Told You So by Miguel

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Track Watch

"I’ve always been a fan of Miguel. I remember listening to Kaleidoscope Dream in a hotel room in New York; there’s this real sexy, urbane quality to that album. His next record, Wildheart, has a real lo-fi sultriness—there’s this weird disparity between those two things, because people think of sultry as being writ-large, with this polished quality, but when you give it this bedroom-recording quality, it adds a sensitivity and a vulnerability that Miguel just has in spades. I love the way he spells out the titles of his songs in lowercase, too. He has a way of being sweetly diminutive and then larger than life. “Told You So,” from his new album, War & Leisure, really grabbed me right away. I first heard it when I was in my bedroom getting ready to go out, which is really important music listening for me. It always feels like a motivational soundtrack and returns me to my teenage self: creating an imagined narrative that usually never comes to fruition. I always think the getting-ready part somehow supersedes the experience itself. It’s better than the party. Even when I’m alone, when I’m still in the realm of fantasy of what the night could be, it’s always better than what the night is. And I’m definitely just talking about going out to very pedestrian events—it’s not like I’m going out to some wild dance party. But music has always accompanied those moments of trying on different clothes, looking at myself in front of the mirror, trying to do something even remotely reasonable with makeup—it always feels aspirational, and buoying. That was the first time I heard “Told You So.” I really thought, “This will be my going-out song for the next six months.” And it has been."

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Kings Falling (The Book of the Wars, #2)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the second book in Ronie Kendig's The Book of the War's series, I read and reviewed Storm Rising! when it released last year, and boy was it captivating. I think that it is important to read the books in order as Ronie Kendig builds the characters in the first book and you get to know them and their situations. You may be slightly confused if you read them out of order.

The characters in Kings Falling build upon what was established in Storm Rising. I loved getting to know the characters better and how the different subplots are working together. That is one reason I love reading Ronie Kendig's books, they always have a great depth of character. Aside from the main characters, the secondary characters caught my interest in this book, and I am not sure how we will get their full stories before the series ends (Uhm, Hint for more books about them?). I loved all the character's playful banter, the dangerous situations, and the real-life problems that they faced together as a team.

The storyline is very intriguing and keeps me guessing, especially how this book ended. I am very much anticipating the release of Soul Raging coming out in November. The storyline reminds me of stories along the lines of Lord of the Rings, or The Chronicles of Narnia albeit with more fast-paced adrenaline run than either of those stories.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the second book being just as good (if not better than) the first, for the great characters, and for keeping me up till midnight reading to see the ending only to get the shock of a lifetime. I highly recommend this book!

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
2017 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
I've got a lot a love for the first Thor movie, but like many others, the second one is probably my least favourite of the whole franchise. So, when one of the mightiest Avengers threatens to become stale, what is the solution? Taika fucking Waititi is the solution.

One of my favourite working directors helming an MCU film is exciting indeed, and manages to deliver a film that injects new life into the Thor series, manages to fit in with other chapters of the franchise without feeling too alien, but still has liberal splashings of Waititi's trademark wit throughout.
The comedy in this entry is thick and fast, but everything lands just right. It's fair to say that it's taken a leaf out the Guardians of the Galaxy playbook, but manages to come across smoother and feel more refined in it's humour than Vol. 2.
Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Ruffalo and Idris Elba are back and as good as ever with MCU newcomers Cate Blanchett, carving a memorable figure as this movies big bad Hela (who I really hope we see again at somepoint), Tessa Thompson as the badass Valkyrie, a wonderful Jeff Goldblum as secondary villain Grandmaster (another that I hope we see again), and Karl Urban as The Executioner. It's a well put together cast.

It's packed full of comic shit too, with references to Man Thing, Beta Ray Bill, and Bi Beast, a tie in appearance from Doctor Strange, the first appearance of Surtur, and Hulk rampaging through Asgard. It has relentlessly entertaining set pieces and an 80s synth style soundtrack that tops everything wonderfully.

Not much to complain about here - easily the best of the Thor trilogy and a solid entry into the wider MCU.