WHENEVER a singer-songwriter begins to make any kind of waves in the music industry, it is common practice for critics to liken them to as many other artists as they can think of.
With Abi Moore, that is a very difficult thing to do. To put it bluntly, she sounds like Abi Moore, and if you haven't heard of her yet, then you're about to!
Abi's second album, Things We Should've Said, is a confident outing, often sassy at times, and with a really strong underlying message of optimism and hope.
If the lyrical content of this album must be likened to anyone else's, then Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. would probably be the first name springing to mind.
The album features strikingly-titled songs such as 'Has the Whole World Come Undone?' and 'World Leaders and Power Seekers' which are laced with legitimate questions as to whether ordinary people can change the state of the world; and while her dreams of seeing a change for the better may never be realised, at least she's bold enough to try.
The latter of the aforementioned tracks features a multitude of deliciously cynical couplets, with the superb "We'd rather vote for the cabaret star of the year, than vote for a leader to free our country of fear" being the absolute pick of the bunch.
It’s not all pop and politics, however, and there are some deeply emotional numbers here too, namely the six-minute album closer Tell Everyone.
Her voice boasts an immense beauty which should touch your inner soul and have the hairs on the back of your neck standing to attention from the album's very beginning.
All in all, Things We Should've Said is as near to the perfect album as you're ever likely to hear, and that is no exaggeration.
There is only so long talents like Abi can stay undiscovered by the masses, and while she must never lose her independent roots, if she isn't performing at the Glastonbury Festival within the next few years, I fear Abi's very own idea that the world has come undone may be more accurate than not!
The album is released on Saturday, March 7.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Blogger's Viewpoint: Learning Curve
I'll update this entry later today (or over the weekend) with a brief rundown of how I feel my writing is coming along. I may have been offering my views and reviews since I was at school, but I'm still learning the art, and know that I need to improve if I'm to make a living from my 'talents'.
Anyways, more from me later. Ciao for now!
Anyways, more from me later. Ciao for now!
Film Review: This Is England
IN a week where the (supposed) best of British has been celebrated at the star-studded Brit Awards Ceremony, it seems only fitting that Shane Meadows' deeply moving drama This Is England finds itself on our screens this weekend.
The film is a semi-autobiographical tale set in 1980s Britain, focusing on 12-year-old Shaun Field, who befriends a small gang of skinheads and is drawn into a world of racism and violence.
Having been bullied at school about his father's death in the Falklands War, Shaun is on his way home when he finds solace in the company of the skinhead youths, who decide to take him under their wing.
All seems well until the group is divided by the return of their intimidating nationalist leader Combo following his release from prison.
Blaming the country's economic woes and increasing unemployment rates on the rise of ethnic minorities in England, Combo plays on the loss of Shaun's father in order to convert the youngster's mindset.
After attending a National Front meeting, Combo and his new recruit begin to terrorise the local Pakistani community, but before long, Combo's internal battles start to surface, resulting in a shocking explosion of hatred and envy and transforming Shaun's way of thinking for a second time.
The movie is full of stellar performances, but none more so than that of the young Thomas Turgoose, who plays Shaun, as he encapsulates both the innocence of youth and the rawness of the working class perfectly.
Credit must also go to Stephen Graham for his jaw-dropping turn as the intensely terrifying Combo.
Having already brought us unique works such as Once Upon a Time in the Midlands and the truly epic Dead Man's Shoes, Shane Meadows' distinctive directorial stamp is once again evident throughout this picture, with the film set deep in the bleak and impoverished Midlands during Margaret Thatcher's reign.
Ultimately uplifting and with a clear message, This Is England is a genuine 'must-see' movie, and anyone who believes British cinema is dead should be subjected to repeat viewings!
The film is a semi-autobiographical tale set in 1980s Britain, focusing on 12-year-old Shaun Field, who befriends a small gang of skinheads and is drawn into a world of racism and violence.
Having been bullied at school about his father's death in the Falklands War, Shaun is on his way home when he finds solace in the company of the skinhead youths, who decide to take him under their wing.
All seems well until the group is divided by the return of their intimidating nationalist leader Combo following his release from prison.
Blaming the country's economic woes and increasing unemployment rates on the rise of ethnic minorities in England, Combo plays on the loss of Shaun's father in order to convert the youngster's mindset.
After attending a National Front meeting, Combo and his new recruit begin to terrorise the local Pakistani community, but before long, Combo's internal battles start to surface, resulting in a shocking explosion of hatred and envy and transforming Shaun's way of thinking for a second time.
The movie is full of stellar performances, but none more so than that of the young Thomas Turgoose, who plays Shaun, as he encapsulates both the innocence of youth and the rawness of the working class perfectly.
Credit must also go to Stephen Graham for his jaw-dropping turn as the intensely terrifying Combo.
Having already brought us unique works such as Once Upon a Time in the Midlands and the truly epic Dead Man's Shoes, Shane Meadows' distinctive directorial stamp is once again evident throughout this picture, with the film set deep in the bleak and impoverished Midlands during Margaret Thatcher's reign.
Ultimately uplifting and with a clear message, This Is England is a genuine 'must-see' movie, and anyone who believes British cinema is dead should be subjected to repeat viewings!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Classics Corner: The Blair Witch Project (10th Anniversary)
IN 1999, the landscape of the horror movie genre was changed completely with the release of The Blair Witch Project.
A decade after this groundbreaking movie hit the multiplexes; it is still widely regarded as one of the most important films of its generation.
At the same time, it remains a much-maligned picture by critics and moviegoers alike. I decided to dig it out of my collection in order to give it another whirl and so, ten years later, this review was found...
Before talking about the film itself, it is important to make mention of the hyperbole which surrounded the picture before its release.
The film's producers capitalised on the incredible internet boom taking place at the time, suggesting via online marketing that the events shown in the film – three filmmakers venturing into the woods to make a documentary about the 'Blair Witch' – were genuine, and that the footage had been recovered following their mysterious disappearance.
The movie and its events are entirely fictional, however, but praise must still be lavished upon those behind the Blair Witch Project for attempting such a daring campaign with which to market their creation. This bold movement paid off, and the film is one of the most profitable of all time, estimated to have made around $10,000 for every single dollar spent.
The film is shot exclusively on handheld cameras – a style which has since been emulated by more recent movies such as Cloverfield and Quarantine – and consists of a mixture of colour and black and white film.
In it, film students Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard are shown making a documentary about the Blair Witch, a legendary creature rumoured to haunt the woods near Burkitsville, Maryland.
As the film progresses, the trio become lost in the woods, where a number of strange occurrences – with a possibly supernatural element – begin to take place.
The plot is never entirely tied up, and the audience is required to use their own imagination with regards to what has taken place, a factor which only adds to the truly terrifying nature of the movie.
It has since been revealed that the actors were subjected to a genuinely frightening ordeal while filming, often being deprived of food and suffering harassment through the night, meaning the terror depicted on screen is authentic!
The film may not boast a Hollywood style, every-question-answered ending, but that is exactly why the Blair Witch Project holds such importance in the fright-flick genre.
It was vastly different, hugely audacious and it remains a cut above many of both its predecessors and successors to this day.
A decade after this groundbreaking movie hit the multiplexes; it is still widely regarded as one of the most important films of its generation.
At the same time, it remains a much-maligned picture by critics and moviegoers alike. I decided to dig it out of my collection in order to give it another whirl and so, ten years later, this review was found...
Before talking about the film itself, it is important to make mention of the hyperbole which surrounded the picture before its release.
The film's producers capitalised on the incredible internet boom taking place at the time, suggesting via online marketing that the events shown in the film – three filmmakers venturing into the woods to make a documentary about the 'Blair Witch' – were genuine, and that the footage had been recovered following their mysterious disappearance.
The movie and its events are entirely fictional, however, but praise must still be lavished upon those behind the Blair Witch Project for attempting such a daring campaign with which to market their creation. This bold movement paid off, and the film is one of the most profitable of all time, estimated to have made around $10,000 for every single dollar spent.
The film is shot exclusively on handheld cameras – a style which has since been emulated by more recent movies such as Cloverfield and Quarantine – and consists of a mixture of colour and black and white film.
In it, film students Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard are shown making a documentary about the Blair Witch, a legendary creature rumoured to haunt the woods near Burkitsville, Maryland.
As the film progresses, the trio become lost in the woods, where a number of strange occurrences – with a possibly supernatural element – begin to take place.
The plot is never entirely tied up, and the audience is required to use their own imagination with regards to what has taken place, a factor which only adds to the truly terrifying nature of the movie.
It has since been revealed that the actors were subjected to a genuinely frightening ordeal while filming, often being deprived of food and suffering harassment through the night, meaning the terror depicted on screen is authentic!
The film may not boast a Hollywood style, every-question-answered ending, but that is exactly why the Blair Witch Project holds such importance in the fright-flick genre.
It was vastly different, hugely audacious and it remains a cut above many of both its predecessors and successors to this day.
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