Dexter Season 5 Review

Dexter is a fantastic TV show and one that I believe everyone should watch and season 5 is one that can’t be missed.

However, saying this it was a little frustrating and there were some negative points and just did not have the best of conclusions, although I may be being a bit harsh because of how brilliant the season 4 ending was. It was on the whole a very watchable season that will make you want to watch the next episode but this is how the last scene of the season was disappointing because it did not lead anywhere, in fact it just seems like a lot of what happened will be swept under the rug and we will just start back where Dexter was at the start of the show, just killing those that deserve to die and no deeper reasons.

Onto the season the new characters that were introduced worked well, especially Julia Stiles character Lumen. Her whole story really got me invested in her character and I was wanting her to succeed all through the season and she was a much more effective partner for Dexter. She was a batter fit for Dexter as a girlfriend than Rita and she was certainly a better partner than Miguel Prado. I did not connect with Prado at all but Lumen integrated into Dexter’s life so easily and it did not feel rushed even though it happened in just a few episodes. It made sense that Lumen was only written for one season but there possibly could be a return for her some point down the line. Dexter and Lumen both needed to find redemption and they both shared their ‘Dark Passenger’ with each other and it was just a fantastic relationship once they learned to trust each other.

Another new character that was really well written and intrigued me a lot was Jonny Lee Miller’s Jordan Chase. He certainly did play the character brilliantly and seemed like he genuinely wanted to help people or at least transform them in one way or another. He knew how to play a shady character, someone that you weren’t sure of from the very beginning and his catchphrase ‘Take It’ is one that works very well in terms of his job and also how he got people to do exactly what he wanted.

A character that didn’t work for me at all was Liddy and his relationship with Quinn was really frustrating. The ending has clearly just been swept under the rug and I really doubt that this story will get any continuation even though there are a lot of questions that Quinn needs to answer for. Another change that I wasn’t sure of was Astor but I do understand why they used her as it kept Rita’s death in the back of the audiences mind so it is not just forgotten.

The season seemed like a video game to me because there were a lot of smaller ‘levels’, for example taking out the smaller targets to get to the final level and defeating the main boss. I did love this season but it may not have been the best and for me it gets an 8 out of 10.

The Simpsons Season 7 Review

After re-watching The Simpsons Season 7 it made me realise how good the show was and how much it has gone downhill.

In this season there are some absolutely classic moments that most Simpsons fans will remember, my personal favourite from the whole season is when Moe is hooked up to the lie detector and after he is told he is free to go, he says he has a hot date, and I am sure you know where it goes from here.
This scene is from the second part of ‘Who Shot Mr Burns’ which I did enjoy as an episode and think it kicked off the season pretty well.

Season 7 is a very interesting one because it does touch on a lot of sensitive issues and it does it such a way where you get the sense that the writers and creators wanted to make people aware of these sorts of things but also put a comedy spin on them. Each of the main characters gets a different sort of issue. Bart has to deal with losing his soul after selling it to Milhouse and this touches on a lot religious issues. Homer also gets involved in many things such as anti immigrant laws and he doesn’t really understand much of it and maybe this is something that can be seen a lot in America these days and he also had an episode in which he gained weight so he could be called disabled and work from home. Another major issue they touch on is the problem of class and high society, Marge wants to be accepted into higher social circle but this means she has to change her priorities and the rest of the family have to act like something they are not. At the end of the episode they decide to go to Krusty Burger and the message behind the episode is do not try and be something you are not just to fit into a group of people.

This is also replicated in the final episode of the season with Lisa trying to change her personality to make friends while the Simpson family are away from home. At the end of the episode it turns out that they liked her because of the things she taught them and this was when she was mostly being herself. However, I am not a massive fan of this episode and thought it was quite a poor episode to end the season on. Another episode that I did not really enjoy was the Treehouse of Horror one and even though it showed Homer in the real world and had one of the better stories with a ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ parody, it is still one that I would skip.

The reason this season is so memorable is because of how many episodes have such great quotes in and it is impossible not to laugh over and over again. I would recommend getting this season to anyone that likes The Simpsons or for someone that doesn’t understand why the show was held in such high regard because they have only seen the newer episodes.

Scrubs Season 1 Review

Scrubs is one of my all time favourite TV shows and I have recently re-watched the first season.

In all these years it certainly hasn’t lost its magic as in my opinion you can’t help but fall in love with the characters as they all have such amazing energy and chemistry on screen together. The show follows doctors John Dorian (J.D, or one of his other nicknames Newbie or Bambi or even a random girls name), Turk and Elliot as they begin working at Sacred Heart Hospital. The thing that makes Scrubs so good is the fact that even though it is light hearted and has lots of jokes involved in every episode, there are also a lot of serious moments and questions that each of the three main characters face.

Other main characters in the show are Carla, Dr Cox and Dr Kelso and each of these add something extra in helping the main characters develop. Relationships are key and it only takes one or two episodes to buy into them and believe they are real. JD obviously is best friends with Turk, and almost straight away the audience realise that Dr Cox is his mentor and someone who he looks up to, while Carla takes him under his wing for the first few episodes while he is finding his feet. Finally, his relationship with Elliot is a little more complicated and in the episode ‘My Best Friend’s Mistake’ he realises he has a chance to kiss her but has to do it in a certain time before she over thinks the situation and he is stuck in the friend zone. They don’t end up kissing and afterwards they get into relationships with other characters.

Turk and Dr Cox’s relationship is very comical as Turk is Carla’s boyfriend and he finds out that Cox likes her and instead of calling him out, he keeps it hidden for almost the whole series. This leads to funny situations like when Cox is interested in a girl Turk is mentoring, he says to Cox ‘No you like Carla’ to which Cox replies with something like ‘Do you even listen to yourself’. The final relationship that is quite interesting is Elliot and Dr Kelso’s because Kelso tries to catch her out and put her down at every opportunity and she doesn’t really help herself at all.

Some of my favourite episodes that I think will help you decide whether you like the show are, ‘My Old Lady’ the fourth episode and it was very serious and proved that the show was going to be something special in my opinion and is certainly worth checking out.

‘My Blind Date’ – Is an episode where Dr Cox is trying to accomplish a ‘perfect game’ keeping all of his patients alive for 24 hours and has some very good moments between him and Elliot where she continually sticks her foot in her mouth. This episode shows that Dr Cox is one of the heroes of the show.

‘My Occurrence’ – guest stars Brendan Fraser, Dr Cox’s best friend and is followed up by ‘My Hero’. It shows how desperate JD is for good news and he will try anything to find it. The end of the episode can bring a tear to some people’s eyes and the follow up episode shows a much different side to Dr Cox.

‘My Last Day’ – The final episode ends brilliantly and makes you want to tune into the first episode of the next season with Jordan (Dr Cox’s ex wife) taking Cox’s advice and stirring things up by delivering a few home truths to the regular cast members.

I would give this season a 10/10 because it may not have the most laughs and if that is what you are looking for it may not be completely for you but it is certainly one of the most heart warming shows to ever be on TV. I haven’t even mentioned my two favourite things about it yet and that is Dr Cox’s rants, some of them are just brilliant and get across his points perfectly as well as being sarcastic and hilarious. Then there is the Janitor who just pops up at the right times to change the tone of the show as the audience know he is going to torment JD in some way. But in his defence at times JD does things to upset him like tipping over bins and knocking over the Christmas tree, although these things weren’t spiteful they just added fuel to the fire and his hatred grew more and more each episode.

An Interesting Artist, King Charles – LoveBlood Review

When you think of King Charles you will probably think of a monarch from the 17^th century and not an artists from 2012 but that is exactly who brought out an album this year.

Charles Costa, refers to himself as King Charles and even dresses like he is from the 17^th century while performing so from the off you can tell this guy is very quirky and his music backs up this thought. He uses so many different genres at times that it is difficult to keep track on what he is going to do next, but one thing is certain, whatever he tries to do he usually makes it very upbeat and about love.

The theme of love runs right throughout the interesting album, ‘LoveBlood’ and is usually about attractive girls that may just be out of reach for him, but he gives a certain energy to every track that still makes it quite uplifting and even when the lyrics aren’t about positive things, he still manages to seem happy. So, if you are looking for an album that is simply fun to listen to and you can deal with the many uses of metaphors and other techniques to create imagery then this would be a perfect album for you. The album starts with, ‘LoveBlood’ which has a very summery feel to it but combines this with some heavier guitar sounds so it cannot be simply put into a specific genre. The album follows this up with, ‘Mississippi Isabel’ which is a song I would start at if you wanted to get to know a bit more about King Charles because it just shows how easily he can entice you into his lyrics and within one play you are already singing along with the chorus. There are clearly some folk influences in his work with this song and when you listen to this song and close your eyes, you could easily be somewhere hot and without a care in the world.

This album is a very bold attempt to try and blend many different genres and the song ‘Bam Bam’ is a high energy song that could have been heard in a disco back in the day and has a very party feel about it. Simply put this song just makes you want to get up and dance to it and sing along with him. But straight after this he shows yet again that he is not afraid to mix it up even more with ‘Polar Bear’ and ‘Lady Percy’ with the latter definitely having reggae and gospel influences to it. ‘Ivory Road’ is another song that caught my attention because of its acoustic sound combined with fast paced lyrics, so if you have been a fan of Ed Sheeran then I think you will like this song.

I think he is impossible to hate just because you will end up singing along to every song on the album. So, if you like catchy music with romantic lyrics and something that is just generally a bit silly then King Charles is definitely for you.

A band to listen to, He is We – My Forever Review

He Is We are yet another band that I have started listening to recently and can’t believe they don’t get as much recognition and success they deserve. They are a simple indie pop duo that play a lot of upbeat and heartfelt music.

Their album ‘My Forever’ showcases their talents perfectly and has a very optimistic feel to it that will bring a smile to most people’s faces. The album opens with ‘Forever and Ever’ which is filled with hopefulness and optimism and it basically conveys the mood of the whole album. The soft vocals are particularly brilliant but throughout the album the vocals don’t slip from such a high standard. The second song, featuring Aaron Gillespie, ‘All Bout Us’ is a love song that will get stuck in your head very easily and is very impressive to me because a lot of love songs in this style can be very cheesy but not this one, the light drum taps and soft guitar add to the atmosphere of the song and it is like a conversation between the two singers.

I think this is basically what He Is We are about and their infectious vocals combined with simple melodies. This may sound boring to some people but this collection of songs are so catchy and well written that it is hard not to like the songs and sing along to them and in my opinion if they can continue this good work then they will surely be a massive success eventually and even better material will come from them. ‘Everything You Do’ is one of these addictive songs but also shows a little more versatility to them but it is still very upbeat. Another song that shows everything about He Is We is, ‘Happily Ever After’ which features some great vocals that is about the uncertainty of love and a lot of people will relate to this song which starts off with a soft piano and then builds up to a quick tempo towards the end of the song.

But the two songs that really stood out for me were, ‘Kiss It All Better’ and ‘Prove You Wrong’. They are both very emotional songs and you can feel how much it means to the singer. ‘Kiss It All Better’ does something which very few artists can do, and that is make a song that has a meaningful story to it. You have to just sit down and listen to the lyrics and it paints such a good picture that you can see the story unfolding in your head, it is very engaging and that’s what makes it a good story. However, even with it being a slower song it is still very catchy and it shows off the gorgeous voice of the lead singer and how versatile her voice is. ‘Prove You Wrong’ follows up the song perfectly and continues in the same way but has a faster tempo to it. If you aren’t sure about them just give these two songs a listen and even if you don’t like them, am sure you will still appreciate them.

If you like your acoustic music or indie pop this is a must have for you because it isn’t too cheesy but doesn’t have too much of a serious feel to it.

A Band to listen to Fake Problems – Real Ghosts Caught on Tape review

Fake Problems may not be that well known but they have released three studio albums and have a very loyal fan base.

There are many reasons why people haven’t heard a lot about them and that could be because their first two albums weren’t anywhere near mainstream and it was difficult to put them in a genre to even find them. They have been described before as an alternative country indie rock band with a punk influence, how many people would really be searching for these bands and can they even be found? Well, Fake Problems latest album, ‘Real Ghosts Caught On Tape’ is slightly more mainstream but it is still a mixture of punk folk, pop punk and country music so this is certainly where the problems lie, but if you get a chance to listen to them, I would definitely recommend them, especially on a sunny day as they have a very fun melody that makes you nod your head and tap your feet. It is a great summer album and has a retro feel to it and reminds me a lot of 60s music, in particular the song, ‘Soulless’ which has a lot of energy and a bouncy feel to it.

What sets Fake Problems apart are the lyrics to most of their songs because they are very catchy but if you actually listen to them they have quite a sad message to them, the song, ‘Songs For Teenagers’ is a perfect example of this as it is basically about nights that have been wasted and being hungover, combined with thoughts about suicide and drugs. Another praise I would make about the lyrics is that they are clearly personal to the lead singer but he makes them more than just about himself so it is not just like listening to a story of his life. The final song on the album is one of the few with a melancholy feel to it and ‘Ghost to Coast’ is a slow tempo track to finish off a fantastic album. But, going back to the beginning of the album and in ‘ADT’ it is clear that they are very good musicians with a great drummer and guitarist who play off each other and are intertwined brilliantly, ‘Complaint Dept’ and ‘Done With Fun’ also show this off. ‘ADT’ and ‘5678’ are probably the two songs that I enjoy the most because they are both very catchy tracks and simply just get you in a good mood just by listening to them.

Older fans of Fake Problems may not like this album as it is very different to their earlier entries but they must have expected it as all of their albums are quite different to each other, but if you are looking for some new music and something that isn’t as fixed to a certain style then Fake Problems are the band for you, as they do feel like a breath of fresh air when you first listen to them and they do have songs that you will replay over and over again.

 

The King Blues final album – Long Live The Struggle Review

The King Blues have released their final album ‘Long Live The Struggle’ and will be hoping that their message in this album gets heard.

Anyone that knows The King Blues knows what they are about and that is a very politically motivated band that wants to be a voice for the working class people and that is exactly what this album tries to do. They are a very underrated band and not enough people have heard their songs and I think this may be because you can’t pigeonhole them. Throughout the album you hear a range of genres and even sometimes in the same song they mix it up and use different styles which include folk, punk, rap and ska music. With their lively sounds and political lyrics it is an album you have to listen to and not something you can simply have on in the background.

The band believed this was as far as they can go and did not want to cheat the fans by making more and more albums when they knew they weren’t producing their best material. They make catchy songs and try to deliver a message in each song, the album begins with the song, ‘We Are What We Own’ which as the title suggests everyone is judged by what they own and those that have more will get the control. They also focus on the youth in particular and point out some problems in the UK, ‘ Can’t afford youth clubs but can afford to lock the youth up’ is a memorable quote as the lead singer is trying to say that boredom could be a reason for youths turning to crime and the government need to do more to help them.

There are many songs on the albums that wouldn’t look out of place in a protest as they sound like rallying calls, ‘We are the future’ builds into a rallying call, ‘Power to the People’ relies heavily on the lyrics and the drumming in the background and one of my favourite songs on the album, ‘Cant Bring Me Down’ which is a song that has quick rhyming over more of a drum and bass sound with a screaming chorus, the reason I like it is because you can feel the emotion of the song and how much it means to the lead singer and basically it is just a rant of what he feels. What makes this band so special is how quickly they can change their style, the very next song ‘Tear Us Apart’ has a reggae beat and couldn’t be any more different from the previous song.

Three songs that stick out to me are ‘Modern Life Has Let Me Down’ because the chorus is immense and very catchy, it is definitely something you can fist pump to. ‘When The Revolution Comes’ is similar in a way with its infectious upbeat rhythm combined with its darker and more angrier lyrics makes this song hit harder. Finally, the last song on the album ‘Keep The Faith’ is what The King Blues are all about and the message is to not give up. Starts off slow and soft but soon turns into a definite sing-a-long as he starts to shout louder the music builds in perfect timing and just reminds the fans how good The King Blues are.

So this is the end for The King Blues and I for one am sad about it because they gave their listeners something different and their lyrics actually had a meaning to them with important messages, I’m sure they have touched a lot of people but unfortunately not enough and it is a real shame they never made a major impact on the music charts.

Who is Cosmo Jarvis? Is the World Strange or Am I Strange album review

Not many people will have heard of this artist but this is quite surprising as he has had a lot of praise over the years and has supported acts such as Muse, Gabriella Climi, Gym Class Heroes, Panic at The Disco, The Sunshine Underground, Reverend and the Makers and The Holloways. Which is quite an impressive list for someone that most people would ask the question who is he?

Looking at his second album, ‘Is The World Strange or Am I Strange?’ I think it answers the question why not a lot of people have heard of him and even though it is a brilliant album, the old saying comes to mind, a jack of all trades but master of none. This is one of the most versatile albums you will probably ever hear with Cosmo able to use nearly every genre from folk to rap to create a sound that is most of all just fun to listen to and will get you singing along and tapping your foot to. Some of the songs do drag slightly like ‘Sure as Hell Not Jesus’ but he has made an album exactly how he wants and hasn’t left anything out that he enjoys himself which has probably hindered his mainstream success as he hasn’t done what so many other artists have done and copied successful artists. He hasn’t had a single song chart in the UK and this is a real shame, in particular the song ‘Gay Pirates’ which should have done a lot better and gained support from famous people like Stephen Fry and John Barrowman. Yes, I know what most people will think as soon as they hear the title and that it’s just a joke but in all honesty it shows the songwriters advanced level of sophistication and how he can tell a brilliant story. You actually feel as though he is the character himself and is a very strong opening to the album that challenges the subject of forbidden love and that there is still prejudice towards the gay community in the world today.

There are enough catchy songs on the album though that if they had gained enough support would surely have got more radio time than they actually did, ‘Dave’s House’ is an example of this and even though some people will not like the song, I can guarantee that most will know the chorus after one play and will sing along to it. Other songs on the album that really impressed me were, ‘Blame It On Me’ as it has an up tempo, folk style vibe to it and is a little different. ‘Is The World Strange’ which is a slow rap with fantastic lyrics. ‘She Doesn’t Mind’ which is about a situation that nearly everyone will go through and that is trying to convince your parents that your partner is good enough for you. Finally, ‘My Day’ also impressed me as it shows his punk style and is a very funny track about our generation.

I believe a lot of people will love this album because of how experimental and completely different it is. I can’t decide how to describe it, and possibly the best words are quirky and strange. However, I also believe that the same number of people will hate this album and not see the point to it at all.

Why picking the right songs to be singles is important?

Good Charlotte have split opinion for a number of years now and have recently announced that they will be going on a tour of Australia.

So why have they split opinion so much? Well it goes back to their second album, ‘The Young and The Hopeless’ which many people described as too clichéd and too similar to a lot of other bands around at the time. Among punk rock fans they are most disliked mainly because of the singles they decided to release which were far too pop for them, in particular the song, ‘The Anthem’ which is on the edge of punk but could more easily just be described as a fast paced pop song. But in fact this song is probably one of their more popular songs with it featuring in many videogames and films. Plus, it reached number 10 in the UK so it obviously went down well. Surprisingly, all of the songs they released were in the top 40 of the UK, ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous’ reached number 8, ‘Girls and Boys’ came in at 6, then ‘Hold On’ and ‘The Young and Hopeless’ both reached number 34.

The problem with these singles was that they all simply just felt too mainstream for a punk band and sort of felt like Good Charlotte were a pop band hiding behind a punk image which obviously infuriated some people as they were very hyped the year this album came out and obviously a lot of people were disappointed with them. But they do have some good songs on their album and I personally really enjoy it, it focuses on a lot of topics that are clearly very meaningful to them with many of their songs focusing on two of the members of the band’s dad leaving them at a young age. ‘Story Of My Old Man’ is another song that could be described more as a fast paced pop song rather than punk but the song ‘Emotionless’ is one of the best songs on the album and catches the emotion very well. It is an acoustic song with quite depressing lyrics but somehow they make it quite uplifting.

The harmonising between the Madden brothers, Joel and Benji is definitely one of the plus points of the album but even that they occasionally overdo it. There is energy in most songs which makes the songs more likeable and you can see why they did so well in the charts because they are very accessible and anyone can listen to them really, as well as their lyrics at times being quite fun. At times they are a little too simple but the drummer Josh Freese deserves a special mention as he adds a lot to the songs and gives some of their tracks an extra edge and the beginning of ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous’ is fantastic because of him. Thinking about it when I was younger I really enjoyed this album but now looking back there are a lot of tracks that aren’t anywhere near as good as other punk bands and most of these unfortunately are their singles so you can see why there is a hatred for Good Charlotte as they haven’t given the whole album a chance.

Amy Macdonald’s first album success – This is the life review

Amy Macdonald is back in the charts with her third album but to really understand how much potential the young Scottish singer has you have to look at her previous work.

Amy Macdonald is still waiting for her first UK number 1 single

Her debut album ‘This is The Life’ sold over 3 million copies worldwide and reached number 1 in the UK Album Charts as well as 92 in the US Billboard 200 so it is easy to see how well she has been liked since the very start of her career but it has only taken me till now to discover just how brilliant she actually is. Just listening to album through once you understand her versatility as a musician but underneath it all you feel that she hasn’t lost her identity and stays true to the sounds that she knows and loves. The more you listen to it, the more in love you fall, it is really that good and the whole album is full of top quality songs that will speak to everyone as they are quite easy to relate to. She has fantastic storytelling ability and you can’t believe that she was only a teenager when this was brought out as some of her songs, in particular, ‘Run’ and ‘L.A’ show that she has so much more ability than other artists at that age.

But, her surprisingly mature lyrics are counterbalanced by her youthful spirit which will appeal to many different people and one thing that gives her points in my eyes is the fact that she doesn’t sound like a stereotypical female pop singer and each song has its own brilliance to it and there is not a single track that is boring like pop artists are releasing these days. The charm of the whole album is that, she doesn’t seem to have to try that hard but there isn’t a cocky arrogance about it and she proves that keeping things simple rather than doing things to your voice or adding a lot of beats does not make a track better.

Many of her songs have been used for different things and have allowed more people to hear her including the opening song, ‘Mr Rock and Roll’ which was used as part of the BBC’s coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games. The song reached number 12 in the UK and sets the standard for the whole album to follow, it could have been easy for it to get worse from there but even though this sing a long track is my favourite on the album by no means does it get worse. It is quickly followed up by probably her most favourite song, ‘This is The Life’ which was actually used on an advert for Fiat 500 shown all across Europe and this made it a major worldwide hit.

Macdonald’s voice is outstanding and the song, ‘A Wish For Something More’ shows her full range and also is a very good song to listen to if you want to also hear how impressive she is on the guitar. Basically, for most of the album it is just her and her guitar and the entire album will appeal to fans of folk music, indie and pop rock and  don’t think any of them will be let down by a single song.