Student Life Archives

Anberlin
Cities

Rating: 3.5/5
Tracks to download: “Adelaide,” “Dismantle Repair,” “Hello Alone,” “Godspeed”
For fans of: Mae, The Juliana Theory, Christian emo

Over the past couple of years, Anberlin has gathered itself a strong following thanks to the success of its singles “Paperthin Hymn” and “Feelgood Drag” and opening spots on tours with everyone from Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance to Yellowcard and Hawthorne Heights. Its latest effort, “Cities,” takes the poppy intensity that has made Anberlin successful in its aforementioned singles and builds upon it in ways that bring mixed success.

Building upon the pop-infused energy that made its previous singles hits, the new single “Godspeed” truly shows off where Anberlin excels. The opening guitar riff hooks you right from the start, and the anthemic quality of vocalist Stephen Christian singing, “Burning down neverland (scatter the ashes) / White lines black tar the matches / Is this another death by misadventure / Tell me what you got, what you really got (hey hey!)” propels the song forward into what is by far the most single-ready song on the album.

A fast, intense synth line drives “There is No Mathematics to Love” which also features a rocking guitar solo. “Dismantle Repair” shows off Anberlin’s knack for a hooking chorus as Christian hits all the high notes, singing, “Hands, like secrets, are the hardest thing to keep from you / Lines and phrases, like knives, your words can cut me through / Dismantle me down (repair) / You dismantle me.” Finally, “Fin” exhibits an entrancing background guitar riff that Christian sings over. The song builds over its first half erupting with a big drum crash and later, choral vocals.

The album does have its flaws. In “Hello Alone,” Anberlin has crafted a song that feels genuinely cold and desperate. This is especially present in the chorus where Christian sings, “Is anybody out there? / Hello! Alone! / Broken hearts like promises, I left my lesser knowns.” However, it suffers from overindulgence in emo delight as during the breakdown Christian screamingly chants, “Do they care at all?” making the song, which once felt genuine, seem more like a stereotype.

The worst spot on the album is “Alexithymia.” Its background bell parts, silky vocals and cheesy lyrics make it sound like the bastard son of Christmas music and the latest Maroon 5 single. I truly don’t know how this song is supposed to fit on the album thematically. Its lyrics and music are far sappier than those of all other songs on the album.

Other than these two real low spots, “Cities” is a solid album. While some of its songs, such as “Reclusion” and “The Unwinding Cable Car” are obviously not Anberlin’s best work, they keep you entertained in between the more interesting ones.

Anberlin will be performing at the Creepy Crawl on March 4. Doors open at 6.30, Tickets are $15 for 21+ and $17 otherwise.

civil disobedience

Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Andrea Urice
Cast: Lauren Dusek, James Anthony, Noga Landau, Justin Joseph
Playing at: A.E. Hotchner Studio Theater March 2-4

In his essay, “Civil Disobedience,” Henry David Thoreau wrote that “any man more right than his neighbors constitutes a majority of one already.” The essay was partially inspired by Thoreau’s disgust with slavery and the Mexican-American war. It was a call to the American people to think for themselves and to recognize that the government did not define righteousness but was rather a system prone to fault and one which its subjects must constantly question. Carter Lewis’ new play by the same name illustrates the relevance of this idea within the scope of the 21st century in a country in the middle of a privatized war.

In 2003, Marlee drives her reluctant father, Fred, to California for retirement after his resignation from the Massachusetts Supreme Court following the death of his wife. Father and daughter could not be any more different. From the back room of her bookstore, Marlee leads a misfit social activist group whose operations were enough to land her in jail for 40 days. On the other hand, Fred is a hard-core conservative who would rather anything than live in liberal California with his gay son. On their journey west, they meet a wide spectrum of characters, from an opera-singing World Trade Center grief counselor whose brother fights in Iraq, to a man whose fall off the corporate ladder has landed him in an economic and mental rut. Also playing a large role is Marlee’s deceased mother, whose mysterious past increases the tension between Marlee and her father and adds more twists in the road.

From the people they encounter to their personal revelations, Marlee and Fred discover what civil disobedience truly means. The play makes numerous connections between Iraq and Vietnam and succeeds in tactfully bashing Reaganomics and radical conservatism. For good or bad, it clearly caters to the liberal college body. To some, this may feel like a topic tried and true and altogether trite: to take a stand against the government when its actions violate your own moral standard. In fact, while the play makes a call to social activism – to make as much noise as possible in the face of injustice or corruption – it never addresses the issue of who will be there to listen or whether anything becomes of the hollering and foot stomping.

However, “civil disobedience” is unique, with enough quirky characters and plot twists to stay fresh and entertaining. In fact, the acting is reason enough to watch. Each role is rendered with credibility and nuance, and it is an experience to watch Justin Joseph play a druggie, a lovable gay prep and a federal worker within the span of two hours.

The gravity of the play’s subject is diminished by a nearly constant stream of comedy, whether they are hilarious one-liners or eccentric characters. So don’t be put off by the title (as many people I know were), because it is a solid, clever play and truly very funny – a worthwhile way to spend a night.

The Visitors
The Visitors

Rating: 1.5/5
Tracks to download: None
For fans of: power-punk, The F-Ups

One of the bonuses of the constant flow of new music into the industry is that those of us who identify best with the old have constant fodder for critique and disdain in the new wannabes. The Visitors’ self-titled debut album is a prime example of one such collection – a 12-song wail-fest in which whiny guitar, steady drum beats and worthless lyrics are combined to create a unique genre: crap.

I will commend this New York trio, however, on their lack of identification with a genre. While a faster paced tempo (like in “Stop What You’re Doin'”) mingles with repetitive guitar segments, giving the album a punk feel, other tracks scream classic rock ‘n’ roll with a Hendrix-esque grainy finish and distorted guitar sound. The tracks vary from rock to slower blues, with punk dominating the clatter, but The Visitors do a decent job of varying genres.

Perhaps the most distracting aspect of the album was the lack of decent lyrics. Most songs included a grand total of 10 words, three to four of which were the song title, repeated over and over again. Occasionally the band switched it up and added gritty guitar riffs in between the repetitions, but for the most part, I basically knew all of the lyrics by reading the track list. The song “I Walked With a Zombie” (which is actually originally a Roky Erickson song) features such lyrics as “I walked with a zombie / I walked with a zombie / I walked with a zombie last night.” The Visitors repeat that stanza twice to make up the whole song. At least the trio made it easier for us to tell when the track had changed.

I am personally thankful that The Visitors made an attempt to create something new and fresh, but tasteless guitar clanging mixed with whiny mantras just is not my thing. Hopefully this band will be a part of the cycle of music that is “visiting” the scene and just as quickly flowing on out.

The Number 23

Rating: 2.5/5
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Danny Huston, Mark Pellegrino
Now playing: Esquire 7, Chase Park Plaza

The Astronaut Farmer

Rating: 3/5
Director: Michael Polish
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Dern, Tim Blake Nelson
Now playing: Creve Coeur 12

“The Astronaut Farmer” by the Polish Brothers and “The Number 23” by Joel Schumacher opened this past weekend. Each film features Virginia Madsen (“Candyman” and “Sideways”) as the archetypal supportive wife of an obsessed man. While both films are about an obsessed man, the root of that obsession varies from virtuous to destructive.

In “The Astronaut Farmer,” Madsen plays Audie Farmer, whose husband Charles (Billy Bob Thornton) is obsessed with building a rocket in his barn and blasting into space. Nobody takes Farmer seriously, despite the fact that he is a former astronaut with advanced engineering degrees. With the launch date imminent, Charles purchases the necessary explosives, and the government suddenly sees the amateur astronaut as a threat.

This film contains some potentially debilitating qualities from the start. Number one, the plot may seem far-fetched, compounded by surreal posters depicting Thornton atop a horse in full astronaut gear. Two, it is hard to imagine the Billy Bob of Bad Santa as a sober and thoughtful family man. Three, the Polish Brothers’ past work isn’t well-known.

Despite appearances, the film is not ridiculous and Thornton gives a very believable performance. The Polish Brothers (“Twin Falls Idaho” and “Northfork”) continue to establish their strengths in cinematography and portrayals of the culture of Middle America, even if in a surreal or absurd fashion.

Indeed, “The Astronaut Farmer” is a Mid-American family film – not only in terms of its audience, but also its characters, who all depict the “family values” often discussed during election time. Despite arguments and tense moments, the Farmer family is a functional, cohesive unit that talks about important issues together at the dinner table and follows through on their responsibilities. They genuinely care for one another.

That is not to say the film is politically conservative. It uses the story as a platform to speak out on post-9/11 regulations, the tendency to mandate safety and discourage personal risk and the treatment of illegal immigrants.

Above all, the film is about pursuing dreams and supporting people who seem to have crazy ideas. The film is inspiring and a valid indictment of government-funded space exploration. As a reader of science fiction magazines Analog and Asimov’s, I’m not new to these views on the priorities and performance of NASA or the arguments against those who call for stopping manned space flights. But it is nice to see this zeal for science and discovery on screen.

On the downside, there is a quirkiness in the Polish Brothers’ older films that was missing in this one. And most of the comedy falls flat and feels over-forced. Everything is overt, from the name of Thornton’s character to dialogue stating that the government has been very effective in killing people’s dreams.

Finally, aside from Thornton, no other actor has significant time to shine in the film. Bruce Dern has some deplorably brief scenes as Audie Farmer’s father. Although short, these were some of my favorite moments. Bruce Willis, on the other hand, has some thankfully brief scenes as a military official with NASA.

Virginia Madsen does not have a complex role in “The Astronaut Farmer” or “The Number 23.” As the “supportive wife,” she only serves as a bulwark to prevent her husband from passing too far into insanity. At times her character in either movie even appears to be consciously subservient to her husband in a way not common in today’s American cinema. I expect this is done to shift each film’s focus onto fatherhood, but I can imagine some audiences might have their feathers ruffled by each of her characters.

On a different note, I have a hard time forgiving Joel Schumacher for what he (and the studio) did to Batman, but I know he can turn out some decent pictures. “The Number 23” concerns Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey), who becomes obsessed over a mysterious novel and its numerological premise. Startled to find how closely the events of the novel follow his own life, Walter begins an unhealthy fascination with occurrences of the number 23 and sets out to find the book’s author for answers to breaking the number’s power.

The numerological plot of this story, like that of “The DaVinci Code,” is an instance of apophenia, or making connections in seemingly random events. In this case, the number 23 – or any various permutations of the number – is said to correlate with significant events.

Once you get past this bit of occult (thanks again, Dan Brown), the film is nothing more than your typical psychological thriller. There are twists and red herrings thrown in for good measure, but ultimately I don’t find the film terribly unique or memorable. No answers are given regarding the basic premise. It is clear that the number 23 does affect certain characters significantly, but for others it does nothing. We’re left to wonder still: why is this number so evil and how does it make certain people go nuts?

The answer is that it’s all a MacGuffin. All that matters here is the journey of Carrey’s character. Similar to “The Astronaut Farmer,” the film stresses the father’s strong family relationship, in this case between Walter and his son (Logan Lerman) and between Walter and his wife, Agatha. It is only this familial love and support that keeps Walter from descending into complete violence and despair. As such, “The Number 23” also firmly promotes the ideal “family values” contained in the Polish Brothers’ work.

I am a big fan of Carrey’s films outside of comedy, but there is still yet to be one that really blows me away (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” came close). However, his performance in this film did make the standard thriller much more enjoyable.

“The Number 23” has a lot of buzz, while most people seem leery of “The Astronaut Farmer.” In reality, the latter is the better film, but both are worth renting one day.

The Ataris
Welcome the Night

Rating: 4/5
Tracks to download: “We All Become Smoke,” “From the Last Call,” “The Ghost of Last December”
For fans of: The Early November, Jamison Parker

“Welcome the Night,” the Ataris’ fifth and supposedly final studio album, has been delayed by Columbia Records since 2005 due to dissatisfaction with the direction of the record. Many rumors have surfaced suggesting that this album was originally intended to be released under another band’s name. However, Columbia convinced them to release it under the Ataris brand. Other rumors have spread reporting that they demanded that lead singer Kris Roe write some songs they felt would be more commercially successful. This supposedly led to the removal of two songs from the original track listing, which were replaced by three new ones. Finally, the album was delayed further as Columbia dropped its rights to the record. Sanctuary Records then picked up the rights to the album, which has now been released with only five of the songs from the original track listing.

With all of this history taken into consideration, the version of “Welcome the Night” that is now in stores everywhere is the Ataris’ best work. Songs on it range from crushingly depressing to up-tempo and uplifting, exploring subject matter such as drug addiction, spirituality and the individual’s lasting mark on the world.

In “The Cheyenne Line,” the Ataris try to emphasize their belief that a life full of substance abuse does not leave any lasting mark on the world. Roe sings, “We threw out all convictions / and traded them for substance / this life you hold so near / will fade in time.” Roe builds on the importance people place on their own lives in order to tear down the idea that it will be important to anyone else if all an individual has stood for is addiction.

One of the most strangely reassuring songs on the album, “From the Last, Last Call,” makes reference to Roe’s PCP overdose in Berlin, Germany. At the end of the track Roe sings softly with shame, “And will you forgive me / when I found out I was stray / on the outskirts of the room / doubled up on angel dust / there crying on my knees.” Suddenly after, the song breaks out into one of the most sing-along spots on the album as Roe belts, “I’m not right, no, I’m not right / I never want to know what I’m capable of,” with conviction that will survive throughout time.

The rest of the album is just as strong as the two songs detailed. “We All Become Smoke” expands on the themes of faith and a person’s place in history and features the nicest falsetto on the record. “The Ghost of December” is slow and powerful, featuring another great sing-along chorus. “Secret Handshakes” details Roe’s embitterment towards his ex-father-in-law and his involvement with the Freemasons, using cello to craft one of the most intense moments on the album.

Overall, “Welcome the Night” is a commanding look at Roe’s feelings of loss, addiction and redemption. Sonically, the album creates a tense but sobering mood to fit its distressed lyrics. While it may have taken four years and countless track listing changes, we can be thankful that “Welcome the Night” has finally seen the light of day.