Set and Forget 003
TLDR;
Music
Nils Frahm - Spells (Paris)
Pink Martini - Hang on Little Tomato
Sons of Kemet - Your Queen is a Reptile
Film
Anora
Music
Nils Frahm - Spells (Paris)
No matter what mode he's operating in Nils is always a satisfying choice when the conditions are right. Once you're ready, find the best hi-fi system you can muster, dial up the volume, and let the record wash over you.
This record finds Nils in pure electronica mode. He takes his time setting the stage, creeping in with a slow burn entrance over three minutes, but once it gets up to speed it has that incredible sense of kinetic momentum and "running on air" that you get with a good bike cadence, a footwork DJ, or a flow state speeding on the highway.
I can't wait for the rest of this album.
Pink Martini - Hold on Little Tomato
A good song doesn't need much: a strong lyric and an unforgettable melody. Everything else is just window dressing. That's easier said than done. Pink Martini take that challenge and dig in with elegance, simplicity, and class.
The messaging couldn't be any more evergreen: a song of hope and perseverance delivered in a sunny, sweet, and uplifting manner. Bonus points for the way that it gently capitulates at the very end, like it was heading to this destination from the very start. They make it look easy.
The entire lyric rides on an extended and through-composed melody that takes up half of the song. In fact, the melody is so strong and so singular that they let the clarinet take it for a full chorus before they even get to the singing 80 seconds in.
The song feels immediately classic. Like it's been a part of the great songbook for the last century, and sung by your grandparents. It's a real achievement to write something so beautiful and refined and to have it feel like it's been here the whole time. Hats off to you.
Sons of Kemet - Your Queen Is a Reptile
This is one of those albums where I look at the track list on Spotify and realized that I've favorited half of the records on the album over the course of several months. It's hard to lose with this album. Just drop it on the stereo turn it up and let it fill your home and shake your bones.
It's hard for me not to be energized by an album that starts with two drum kits hard-panned left and right. So goes 'My Queen is Ada Eastman'. Matter of fact, any record with more than one drum kit has a high likelihood of getting my blood pumping. When I finally discover my limit on drum kits I'll tell you "when". Until then keep serving them up in my bands, thank you.
It's a strong entrance for a singular band. Every member is virtuosic, but it never feels excessive. In fact, horn players Shabaka and Theon keep it simple, hypnotic, and restrained; letting drummers Tom and Seb fill the spaces between them.
There's so much going on rhythmically but it never feels cluttered. That's a feature and an inherent strength of their spare orchestration. Nobody ever fights for the same frequency space and so each player can find their groove and feel assured that they'll never step on the other person's toes.
Special shoutout to 'My Queen Is Nanny of the Maroons'. Easily the most chill number on the album and always welcome in my home, no matter the mood or moment.
Many bands have something this chill within them (Sabbath's 'Planet Caravan' or 'Giant' by The Bad Plus comes to mind) but few ever choose to live in that mode for more than a song or two. I'd like to see my favorites render a full album in this headspace. It's my natural state of being and I wish more people would join me there.
Film
Anora
I've been unable to stop thinking about this film ever since I saw it. It won the Palm D'or this year and I can understand why.
This story is a single great wave and we - along with Annie - are swept up on it. Seduced along with her. From her whirlwind romance with Ivan, to her elation, to the eventual recession and comedown.
For such a well crafted film, the technicality never draws attention to itself. Where this movie shines is in it's characterization. These are fully realized people and I believe them 100% of the way.
Mikey Madison is, of course, the star of this film and she deserves every good thing that has been said about her performance here, but what really stood out are the supporting characters. Particularly Toros, Garnick, and Igor.
Their arrival is the moment that the film lifted off for me. It's the point where it switches gears, both dramatically and tonally. It's an unusual thing for a film to get *funnier* as the dramatic stakes intensify. I did *not* expect this movie to be as funny as it was.
They could have easily been one-note characters but Sean Baker takes the time and breathes life into them. He fills them with hope, and pain, and frustration, and challenges, and principles and by digging into those characters and giving them life he also finds the humor and pathos. And so, as we watch the film and come to know these people we are in no hurry to reach the next scene. We're happy right where we are.
With their arrival of the Garnick and Igor at the house the main conflict kicks into gear and I found myself wholly engrossed by the film. At that moment the "movie" melted away completely and I was *in* the scene. I was there with these people in the moment.
Annie plays a good game every step of the way to maintain what she has, but we're dragged along with her to every location, every errand, every destination and forced to feel it slowly slip from her grasp until she's back where she started.
The feeling of this film's arc is visceral and literal in form. It's that single giant wave that I mentioned at the beginning. We are swept up upon it. We feel the excitement lift us up, crest, and then subside.
By the time we're in the car with Annie and Igor at the end we are as exhausted by the episode as she is. The last bit of surf from this giant wave is receding from view and we've been set back on the shore. And the comedown is hard.
