Music: Two Gallants - What The Toll Tells

Two Gallants
What The Tell Tolls
[Country / Punk]





Two Gallants are the latest signing to Saddle Creek, and one of the few bands on the roster not to originate in Omaha, Nebraska, home of the label. These San-Franciscans play a blend of literate (hence the James Joyce inspired name), narrative-based, country-folk-soul-punk-blues-rock that sounds like asphalt and whisky with a twist of gunpowder and old leather.

The album is immediately arresting; opener "Las Cruces Jail" is a straight-up loud/quiet cowboy song that kicks harder than an angry mule. Everything evokes the mood perfectly; from the whistling melody to the atmospheric noises of a windy canyon. After the quiet opening, the strident lyrics "Well I spent last night in Las Cruces Jail / Raining hail, born to fail / Nobody coming for to go my bail / Sun don't you rise no more" catch the listener by surprise and from that moment on, you'll be humming this dust-soaked tale of a young gunfighter awaiting the noose all week.

A slightly more laid-back track follows; but one easily the equal of the opener in terms of narrative and flavour; "Steady Rollin'" manages to tell the story of a disillusioned wife-murderer in a manner poignant and sympathetic; "My loving lady she's a ball and chain / I still can travel but my speed is changed".

These two are not the only highlights on the album; "Long Summer Day" is another fine example of good storytelling; this time racial injustice comes under fire from the central character "The summer day makes a white man lazy / He sits on his porch, killing time / I've got to work to feed my wife and baby / I work so goddamn hard that it's a crime". The song culminates in a glorious, soaring conclusion, in which the man decides to take justice into his own hands. "The Prodigal Son" is a much softer song, with a delicate, memorable melody and lyrics that do exactly what they say on the tin; "I'm well known in story, famous in song / The black sheep, the blemish, the one who went wrong."

So what's wrong with this album? Well, firstly it suffers from what I'd like to christen "EP syndrome". Distilled, it would make a damn fine EP, but as it is it seems stretched into an album. At only nine tracks, the length is stretched by the fact that four of the tracks are over eight minutes long. Now I'm not one who shys away from epics, but let me repeat that; four of the tracks are over eight minutes long (and two of them are pushing the ten minute mark). There comes a point where words like "sprawling" dont really apply anymore. It's not that they are bad tracks, by any means, but frankly, these nostalgic poets need an editor. I'm willing to forgive them "Waves of Grain" as a majestic album closer and a great parting shot at American complacency, but frankly the bible-infused death throes of "Threnody" are borderline painful. "Age of Assasins" has a nice little ramshackle chorus, but could have been fitted by a less self-indulgent band into five minutes.

"Some Slender Rest" benefits from being couched between "Steady Rollin'" and "Long Summer Day" but it's still three minutes longer than it needed to be. The only track I haven't covered so far is the ultra-lo-fi "16th St. Dozens", which is (mercifully) a relatively petite five minutes and enhanced by an excellent ska-sounding trumpet part, which remains somewhat underused, only entering at the end of the track.

Overall, then, congratulations to Two Gallants; you've made my favourite EP of the year. Now quit being lazy, exercise some quality control and follow it up with the album you are evidently capable of making. 75

Music: Placebo - Meds

Placebo
Meds
[Glam / Grunge]






Ok, Here's a confession; I've never really cared about Placebo. Don't get me wrong, I've never thought they were a bad band. Everyone has a soft spot for "Pure Morning" and "Special Needs", surely? But they've never really grabbed me enough to listen further. Well, that changed with this album. Why? Is it their best album? Is it incredibly inovative? Is it just really, really good?

No, no and no. The reason I had to review it is because two years ago this band released a "Best Of". And everyone knows that once a band has released a "Best Of", anything subsequent will be a shadow of their former work. (OK, so maybe it was a single collection and a live album, but in my opinion that equates to a "Best Of" at least.)

However, in Placebo's case, they've somehow managed to bypass the getting old and rubbish stage. What Meds is is a tight set of typical Placebo songs. It's not pushing envelopes, but it's so well crafted you probably won't mind. Sticking to that classic Placebo combination of distortion, distressed lyrics and melodic, ethereal passages, Molko and crew are still crafting emotional, sleazy songs about academic inadequacy, drugs (of both the legal and the non-legal variety) and kinky sex.

The album kicks off with a strong trio of songs (title track "Meds", new single "Infra-Red" and the lovely "Drag") which don't break any new ground but succeed in being catchy and touching. A blip on the radar comes from "Space Monkey" (filler if ever I've heard it), but things are back on track with the delicate but very depressing "Follow the Cops Back Home". "Post Blue" and "Because I Want You" are also good; but as a single choice I would have picked the former over the latter. "Blind" is take-it-or-leave it, leaning too hard on it's keyboard introduction.

It's the second half of the album that let's the side down somewhat. By this time the listener may be starting to find Brian Molko' s self pitying intonations somewhat wearying, and the songs aren't as good, either. "Pierrot The Clown" is another weepy; it's similarity to "Follow The Cops" does it no favours, but it's still a pretty little ditty. "Broken Promise" has a good piano line, but it's strangled by overpowered drums and guitar. By "One of a Kind", though, we are definitely into the low after Placebo's ketamine-induced high; both musically and in terms of quality. The song has nothing to particularly recommend it apart from a gimmicky guitar part that sounds like a child who's found something annoying to twang. "In The Cold Light Of Morning" we have another spooky downer; but it's not particularly good compared to "Cops" or "Pierrot"; at times it really does sound like a nasty hangover and not in a good way. I do appreciate the line "a cock in a dildo's disguise" though; gave me a giggle. "Song To Say Goodbye", which appropriately concludes the album, apparently saw an international single release. Heaven knows why, though, as it's not great; there is far better on offer here.

Really, though, whether you like this album depends on whether you like Placebo, replete with Molko's nasal serenading and self-conscious lyrics; "You got A on your algebra test, I lagged behind". If you do appreciate their style, you'll be relieved to know that the band don't seem to have lost their edge with age. If you can't stand it, this is not a new, radically changed Placebo which will win you over. But it is a Placebo on fine form, and, for a band I thought were finished, they firmly re-assert that they are not done yet. 73

Music: Hope of the States - Left

Hope of the States
Left
[Post-rock]





Hope of the States are like no other band in recent memory. Adjectives used to describe the sound of their music are more along the lines of "hopeful" and "soaring" than "melodic". They aren't particular to any music scene, nor do they wish to be. They aren't even ashamed to call upon an orchestra when required - something practically forbidden in today's world of tight riffs and even tighter jeans. However, if one particular incident could be said to have distinguished them in 2004, the suicide of lead guitarist and founder member Jimi Lawrence would be pretty high on the list. Everyone from Newsnight to Rupert Murdoch seemed to want a piece of the news, and unfortunately for Sam Herlihy's boys, the unforgettable sound of their debut album became lost in typically melodramatic media frenzy.

Receiving mixed reviews (including one of the most amateurish ever published on Pitchfork Media, from a writer who hadn't contributed before, and thankfully hasn't been heard of since), The Lost Riots was heard by few and appreciated by even less. Yet for the band's supporters, it was one of 2004's strongest releases, superbly balancing Herlihy's fractured vocals with suitably grandiose post-rock arrangements. Two years later and Hope of the States' sophomore effort, Left, has arrived, hoping to further capture the band's unique sound and act as an ideal antidote to the ephemeral trite pushed by the likes of NME. The Automatic? Too right.

What's immediately obvious on first listen to Left is that Hope of the States have become a much more rigid musical outfit. Instrumental opener "Seconds" gets the album rolling with twitchy strings and stacatto beats, before flattening out into a smoother sound as the listener prepares for a severe aural workout. However, coming in at under two minutes, “Seconds” has no chance to reach the blistering highs and dramatic lows of The Lost Riots' opener, "The Black Amnesias", to which it will be inevitably compared. It comes off as something of a disappointment, and with mediocre lead single "Blood Meridian" following immediately after, one begins to fear that Hope of the States have lost all sense of what made their debut effort so wonderful. "Emergency, emergency / Someone acted honestly" notes Herlihy in his signature faux-Americana whine, however with such a standard rise/fall string backing and a guitar lead Editors would think twice about adopting, this particular call-to-arms comes off as tired and routine.

Fortunately, second single "Sing It Out" plays perfectly to the band's strengths while also showcasing the benefits of a tighter sound. A pulsing drum beat overlaps smoothly with post-punk guitar, giving the song some real bite and setting the stage perfectly for one of the band's trademark first-pumping choruses ("Sing it out / Sing it out / You are not alone"). The line "I am debt / I am loss / I am written off again and again and again and again" then gives a brief glimpse into the socialist agenda hinted at in the record's title, and is a nice alternative to conventional mainstream love/loss themes.

While "Seconds" barely had time to get going, fourth song "Bonfires" is a prime example of a shortcoming apparent in many of Left's weaker songs - it is a three minute song trapped in a much larger space, and the record's momentum suffers because of it. When Herlihy spits "I'll lead them off the edge, I'll drown them in the Dead Sea / Now they're noticing", the urgency of the line is lost through endless repeats of the chorus and a worthless, minute-long outro. By the time "The Good Fight" gently phases in, much of the impact is forgotten. On The Lost Riots, the orchestral mist enveloping many of the songs was entirely welcome and served an emotional purpose. When strings are replaced by cold riffage, however, the point is lost.

Thank goodness "The Good Fight" is such a tear jerker, then, and allows the album to regain its focus with delicate ease. "Defiant I shall be today / But I won't forget how much we paid" may mean nothing to you, it may mean everything; whatever the case, it expresses more than any other moment on Left the ideology of the band. If this line resonates with you, and it certainly did with this reviewer, then you will appreciate what is to be said. On the other hand, if lyrics to you are nothing more than "Gorilla, cuntilla", you should perhaps look elsewhere. Towards the end of the song, the hazy guitar and plodding drums give way to a single acoustic guitar. "We'll win in another life / I know we will" sings a choir , "Tomorrow is another chance / To make the next day better". Embrace comparisons are welcome, if only to exhibit complete, unadulterated musical ignorance. There has never been a better line to raise a lighter to, cheesy or otherwise.

Album centre piece "Left" sounds like the thirteenth best song recorded in sessions for The Lost Riots. It's long, has strings and piano, yet somehow lacks pathos. The chorus is far too overblown, the lyrical focus has wavered somewhat (What you want, yr never gonna get / Unless you are prepared to be alone) and the instrumental parts are dull. Someone in Hope of the States' A&R department has decided it would be a good single, whereas the emphatic, violent, loud, short and very, very sweet "Industry" would do a far better job. Here Herlihy is on his best ever lyrical form ("The factory cheats and the industry lies / Your daddy ain't got a job in the morning") and is backed by a punchy drum beat, winding guitars and nicely textured synth effects. Only "The Red The White The Black The Blue" stands above this is the band's repertoire.

Not far behind the dizzying kick of "Industry" is another example of Hope of the States’ typically resigned take on politics, "This Is A Question", opting for long gazes into the night sky rather than picket lines and wire fences. Arguably the best song musically on Left, genuinely moving crescendos roll over one of Herlihy’s strongest ever vocal performances. Proving he deserves his much-debated tag as one of the best rock vocalists around, the emotional brutality of his delivery here is a far cry from the exhausted tone of The Lost Riots. While the message here is not the strongest on Left by any means ("If you sing a couple of words the world moves / It changes because you do / It changes 'cause we need it to"), the way it is belted out thankfully recalls "Death or Glory" rather than "Killing in the Name".

"Little Silver Birds" is something of an obscure, confused rant about industrial dehumanisation ("All the people stuck behind dead bolts"), love ("Let nobody tell you that yr heart was wrong") and opportunism ("I am in love with the chance that we could all do better than we do"). While lyrically powerful, the structure is decidedly by-numbers and, apart from a fantastic final minute, is largely forgettable. The disappointment continues with "Four", a routine chest beater with ham-fisted lyrics ("You people should wonder / How yr ever gonna shut us up forever") and "Forwardirection:", an initially light acoustic number with a repetitive, overly harsh chorus that would better have been left as a b-side.

Superb piano ballad "January" then adds to Left's triumphs, recalling "Don't Go To Pieces", one of The Lost Riots' strongest pieces. Here, sonar bleeps and whirls are used to good effect as Herlihy laments the loss of Jimi Lawrence ("I fell apart in January / But I fixed myself for everybody"). Along with memorable closer "The Church Choir", "January" never sounds as though it is attempting to imitate the swirling crescendos of its predecessor (as opposed to earlier songs "Left" and "Little Silver Birds"), but instead use those foundations on which to build something better.

Overall, Left finds Hope of the States in something of a middle ground. Some songs suggest a punkier progression ("Sing It Out", "Blood Meridian", "Industry"), whereas others stick to the post-rock formula that was previously used to such good effect ("Left", "The Church Choir"). Both sounds have their moments on the album, but it is where each theme is pushed to excess that the most success is achieved. For example, "Industry" and "The Church Choir" stand out immediately, whereas "Blood Meridian" and "Four" are muddled and hence tend to get lost in the mix. We know Hope of the States can never make another The Lost Riots, the worry with Left is that they may never make anything as good. Granted, it is a difficult task, but for a band with such grit and ambition it is certainly within reach. To sum up in Herlihy's own words - an underachiever but a true believer. 71

Games: Valve - Half-Life 2: Episode One

Valve
Half-Life 2: Episode One
[First-Person Shooter]





Chances are that if you play games you've played the original Half-Life and remember it as one of the greatest games of all time. The much hyped, much delayed Half-Life 2 continued Valve Software's impeccable reputation and now it has made artistic (and economic) sense for them to continue their series in episodic form. The first of these instalments, predictably named Half-Life 2: Episode One, attempts to continue the story established in its predecessor, and for the most part it is successful.

The story once again revolves around Gordon Freeman's attempts to thwart evil alien race the Combine and their totalitarian regime in the mysterious City 17, now in ruins following Gordon and sidekick Alyx's actions in the original. We begin our story with Alyx's popular robot buddy, Dog, rescuing Gordon from rubble outside the "citadel" - the Combine's base of operations - and the player is immediately reacquainted with Half-Life 2's main characters - the aforementioned Alyx and Dog, Alyx's father Eli Vance and crackpot scientist Professor Kleiner. It transpires that the only way for Gordon and Alyx to escape safely is to re-enter the citadel and prevent a meltdown by accessing the core, and so begins the third part of Gordon Freeman's adventures.

Understandably, Eli is not too happy with his daughter risking life and limb (despite the fact she has been battling for the city's resistance for a considerable time) and an emotionally charged debate between the two immediately highlights one of Episode One's graphical improvements over its predecessor - that of improved facial expressions in dialogue between characters. The two wince and gesture in surprising detail and it is obvious that Valve are keen to enhance their Source engine at every available opportunity. Other graphical improvements apparently include a higher pixel count for the character's faces to accompany the new expressions, improved lighting in dark spaces and greater use of HDR (High Dynamic Range) lighting hinted at in the Lost Coast demo. While none are as immediately obvious as the detailed expressions, it is clear that the Source engine is becoming more impressive with each release from Valve, and though not quite on par with Bethesda's recent efforts in Oblivion, it is clear than the plan is to enhance the engine gradually in order to avoid programming a new one from scratch, as that is what caused much of the delay with Half-Life 2's release in 2004.

The action may initially take place in the spiralling citadel but Alyx and Gordon also visit spooky underground locations submerged in darkness and the battered streets of City 17, helping to ensure the player never becomes bored with a specific location. I was initially disappointed with the return to what I felt was Half-Life 2's weakest section, however there are some interesting puzzles waiting to be tackled with the souped-up gravity gun, even if the action isn't in the least bit challenging with such a powerful weapon and the generous placement of suit chargers.

The underground section is a different matter, however, and offers perhaps the best action in the series since the unforgettable "Blast Pit" and "Questionable Ethics" chapters in 1998's Half-Life. Alyx often stays behind as Gordon seeks a way to restore power to the area in question, before the two are assaulted from all sides by a combination of zombies, ant lions, head crabs and the new "zombines" (faster and stronger zombies created when a Combine soldier is possessed by a head crab). Interestingly, the player goes through much of this section of the game without a firearm or ammo, and is required to light up enemies with the flashlight for Alyx to take down with her pistol. What could easily have become a frustratingly difficult and cumbersome section of Episode One is made hugely enjoyable by Alyx's impressive combat skills and the mechanism's flawless execution. Crucially, while this section is by no means easy, it is fair.

The final section of the game follows Alyx, Gordon and legendary security guard Barney Calhoun as the trio attempt to evacuate the remaining residents of City 17. Featuring thrilling urban squad combat and a particularly memorable battle with a Combine gunship, the final third of Episode One is certainly up to standard and continues the electric pace established by the underground chapter. While the extremely basic squad mechanics of Half-Life 2 are still in place, it is unreasonable to expect Valve to live up to games such as Freedom Fighters in this regard as it is such as minor section of a much bigger game. Gordon's resistance buddies can occasionally find themselves in the way, especially in tight corridors, and seem to draw little if any fire away from the player. Nevertheless, they fire accurately and provide the player with invaluable support (by way of ammo and med kits) in dense areas of Combine fortification.

The player spends much of the game in the company of Alyx, however this potentially disastrous game mechanic that all-too-often fails in other titles and becomes a chore rather than a pleasure is executed to perfection. Alyx rarely tells Gordon to get a move on and allows the game to played at the desired pace of the player. She cracks jokes and often exhibits dread, excitement and relief, giving her a real air of humanity, and thankfully stays well out of the way during puzzle sections. It remains to be seen whether this would work during a full-length game (according to Valve, Episode One's average completion time is a little over four hours), however Alyx acts as effective and, crucially, welcome support throughout the game.

Aside from the expected shortness of the game and the basic squad mechanics, it is a genuine challenge to find fault with Episode One. Granted, there are no new weapons, only a single new enemy and everything looks pretty much the same, but then what did you expect? One could argue that the citadel section is underwhelming and superseded by the later sections, yet to me this only highlights the quality of the underground and city areas rather than suggesting the game's opening hour is below par. As with the Lost Coast demo, commentary from the developers is available to explain various aspects of the game and comes highly recommended. Valve are clearly a company that thrives on its fans, and the way they claim to have tweaked the balance of gameplay as a result of playtesters' feedback is palpable. In fact, Valve admit to having removed chunks of Episode One because of a negative reaction from players; if only all developers applied this level of scrutiny we would have considerably better gaming experiences on offer. Imagine, for example, if Hideo Kojima had removed the pointless cut scenes of pseudo-philosophical bullshit from the end of Metal Gear Solid 2. Perhaps it is indicative of the believability of the Half-Life universe that it requires so little explanation.

Overall, Half-Life 2: Episode One delivers enjoyable co-operative gameplay, hugely entertaining AI battles, challenging puzzles and a few scares along the way. The teaser trailer for Episode Two, a reward for completion, further highlights how Valve are reshaping the landscape of first-person shooters. While the likes of Prey are doing exactly what the original Half-Life did nearly eight years ago, Valve are one of a handful of developers innovating rather than imitating, and Half-Life 2: Episode One, in almost all respects, could not be better proof of that. It's just over before you know it. 83

Music: Bright Eyes - Motion Sickness

Bright Eyes
Motion Sickness
[Live / Rock]






Let's start with the obvious; this is one for the fans. If you don't like Bright Eyes, this isn' t the disk to convert you; try I'm Wide Awake It's Morning for that, or Digital Ash In A Digital Urn if you think wide-eyed, troubled Nebraskan Conor Oberst is only capable of one mode of songwriting.

This live album is composed heavily of cuts from last year's Wide Awake tour, and whilst featuring a lot of tracks from that album in their live incarnations, it also covers a couple of tracks from previous albums;"Make War" and "Method Acting" from Lifted and a scaled down (Thank you, you've been a great audience) version of "A Scale, A Mirror, And These Indifferent Clocks" entitled simply "Scale". There's also a generous wadge of bonus material, including a beautiful cover of Elliot Smiths "The Biggest Lie" and a perky, countrified take on Feist's "Mushaboom" (Yes, that song from the advert, you'd recognise it if you heard it) in which Oberst doesn't really capture the vocal but the band do a good job. The other treats are the previously un-released and rather pretty "Southern State" and a barn-storming version of Lua B-Side "True Blue", complete with an excellent solo by Saddle-Creek resident trumpeter Nate Walcott, who is pictured on the cover. In fact, this point highlights the fact that this is very much a road record and a band record; this is not Conor's record alone, and he knows it.

Sleevenotes are provided by drummer Jason Boesel (also Rilo Kiley's percussionist) and he proves an eloquent, frank and perceptive companion to the journey, couching the tour firmly in our era, with references to iPods, Japanese bullet-trains and Hunter Thompson's suicide. Readers will smile wryly at how the band crosses the path of Bush's entourage, especially given the enthusiastic reception of witty acoustic rant "When The President Talks To God".

As for the bulk of the record; live versions of Wide Awake favourites like "Road To Joy" and "At The Bottom Of Everything" are all well done; the quality of the takes culled is very high and the band strike the right balance between live spontaneity and studio accuracy. No "Lua" or "First Day Of My Life" though; but if you have Wide Awake you'll own acoustic versions anyway.

In short, this is by no means an essential record. But it is a great little snack to keep the fans happy until next year's double album. There's a lot here to like, and if you're a completist, you'll lap it up. As I've said though, if you're a newcomer, just go buy Wide Awake instead. In short; a hard record to score, but that won't stop me trying. 80

Games: Funcom - Dreamfall

Ragnar Tornquist / Funcom
Dreamfall
[Adventure]






Ok, let's get the big one out of the way right now; this game has a story that kicks ass. If you aren't familiar with the name, it's a sequel to a game called The Longest Journey. Released six years ago, it grew a cult following of gamers looking for "classical" graphic adventures (an increasingly niche genre) and story-based gameplay. It concerned the endeavours of a girl called April Ryan to save conjoined worlds of magic and technology called "Stark" and "Arcadia". (Guess which is which...)

"Wait a minute!" I hear you cry. "He said this had a story that kicks ass. This sounds like the usual sci-fantasy hokum brewed up by dozens of immature game designers."

Hear me out, reader. What really elevates these titles above the average fodder is the characters. All of which, without exception, are well written and voice acted. That's right, kids, these games have good voice acting. Further, lots of the most interesting aspects of The Longest Journey centred around the character development of April herself; starting as an art student in Venice, a small, bohemian corner of a futuristic city, Newport, we spent a lot of the game watching her progress from carefree dreamer to a woman with the weight of two worlds on her shoulders.

She returns, older and disillusioned, in Dreamfall, along with two new protagonists, Kian, a warrior who begins as April's enemy but must re-examine his own faith and allegiances, and Zoe, a privileged college-dropout whose life is stuck in a rut until she discovers the existence of the parallel world and becomes embroiled in intrigue involving lucid dreams, robotics corporations, and a creepy little girl in the style of The Ring.

By turns, the plot of Dreamfall is clever, funny and heartbreaking. The ending led me as close to tears as a game ever has, and there's even some time for a spot of bush-bashing/nazi commentary. The art direction, also, is superb; this game will leave stunning images burned on the back of your retinas for a long while after. The music is tasteful and suits each scenario well.

With so much good, what can I say stopped me giving this a full two-thumbs up? Well, firstly, there's not actually that much to the gameplay. There are some trivially easily puzzles (apart from one unfair music puzzle which only lets you hear the cue once) and a little bit of sneaking and fighting. The fighting has clunky, unresponsive controls, but is either easy or skippable. Most of the time you'll be walking about from point A to B, clearly signposted, or talking. Boy, is there a lot of dialogue. I'm talking fifty per cent of the game length, here, no exaggeration. You'll be thanking your lucky stars there is good voice acting and writing, because without it you would be bored out of your skull. As it is, it would merely have been nice if the developers had put more interaction into the conversations.

Now, believe me, I would rather have easy challenges than bizarre, illogical puzzles any day. But there are so many opportunities for puzzles to have been naturally integrated into this game that the designers missed, even a plot-centric guy like me was longing for a bit of an intellectual workout. Without the innovations of Fahrenheit, this game does seem very much like simply a My First Adventure - with very good writing, sound and art.

You'll enjoy it, and it's a blast while it lasts. But don't expect much of a challenge, and don't expect a neatly wrapped up ending either. The story is part two of a trilogy - and you'll have to wait another six years or whatever for the end of the story. But the key point here is that it's a story you'll want to finish, not another shooting gallery you couldn't care less about. 87

The Challenge Of Reviews

As some of you may have noticed, Musically Sound is very much a no-expenses-spared endeavour. In that we have no spare expenses. So anything reviewed here is bound to be bought by one of the contributors for their own personal listening/reading/playing/viewing pleasure. Because of that, I'm going to find staying neutral on this blog a bit of a challenge. How can you review something that you've handed over good hard english pounds for (and considerably more than our US counterparts, but that's another story altogether) and have previously formed expectations about with any sense of neutrality? And what's more, how can anyone score things out of a hundred anyway? Cheers Harry...

Well, I'll be attempting to rise to the challenge soon with some forthcoming reviews, kicking off with Dreamfall, a game I just finished playing, and a review of Motion Sickness, the recent Bright Eyes live disc (cue rolling eyes from co contributors)

2006 - Half a year in focus

As we haven’t been around for the first half of 2006, what follows is a brief guide to the best I’ve experienced so far this year in each field of the arts.

Music:

Liars – Drum’s Not Dead
[Experimental]
Much maligned experimental trio create a concept album worthy of attention. Unlike their previous LP of noise, distortion, feedback and a bit more noise, Drum’s Not Dead has an unexpected hypnotic quality underneath the walls of percussion and falsetto wails. They even have a crack at a ‘normal’ song at the end, too! 86

Games:

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC, X360)
[RPG]
Yes, the battles, skill system, dialogue and story have all been dumbed down to give the series mainstream appeal, but the unexpected linearity lends the game a pace and cohesion severely lacking in Morrowind. Hundreds of side quests still exist for the determined, mind, and the depth of Oblivion is well beyond your standard GTA fare, so it should keep most purists, as well as newcomers, content. Did I mention it’s the best looking game of all time? 93

Film:

Inside Man
[Heist Thriller]
Not Spike Lee’s best but a clever, slick thriller with great performances from Clive Owen and Jodie Foster. If you don’t mind the familiar bank robbery build up in the first half hour it’s the year’s smartest mainstream release. However, with the main competition coming from the admittedly solid Wallace and Gromit it’s hardly been a fantastic year for cinema. 76

Books:

DBC Pierre – Ludmila’s Broken English
[Contemporary Fiction]
The dull shouting and screaming of the first hundred pages are rescued by Pierre’s unique use of sublime metaphors and fluid language, and from then on the main plot manifests itself terrifically. Overlook the author’s overzealous and hammy political commentary (the Siamese twin protagonists are named Blair and Gordon…) and at times this book is a joy to read; just don’t expect Vernon God Little 2. 82

Musically Sound is back!

Hello and welcome to the revamped, brand new, brand-free Musically Sound. No doubt our legions of loyal followers will be delighted to hear that the number one site for all music, game, book and film reviews, as well as general commentary, is back in town and ready for action. Here is the team of contributors, listed in alphabetical order so as to dispel any notion of hierarchy:

Adrian Bunting

Michael Burgass

**Harry Holt**

Greg Wakeling

Stuart Young

We now rate all things out of 100, as the decimal point and star system created untold havoc on the old site. Rating books out of 5.0 would be almost as ridiculous as evaluating music according to five single, exact measurements, so in order to streamline our evaluation of the arts, the market research team decided a score out of 100 would be more suitable for all the forms of brain food under examination. It might help Musically Sound get on Metacritic, too.

For those who found us through Freewebs, we also operate through http://www.musicallysound.tk for easier access.

Make sure to check back regularly for the scoop on all things arty, goodbye for now...