“The Lucky One”
Rating: .5/5
Being a fan of “The Notebook” and “A Walk to Remember,” I feel obligated to watch all the Nicholas Sparks movie adaptations at least once.
I make a point to read all the books before the movies, as well. “The Lucky One” as a book never thrilled me, so before watching the movie, I tried to imagine the worst-case scenario for its adaptation. It turned out to be even worse than that.
Main man Logan (Zac Efron) is a U.S. Marine who finds a picture of a pretty blonde while overseas. After miraculously escaping death twice while in possession of the photo, Logan begins to believe that the girl is his guardian angel.
What happens next? He stalks the girl. Upon returning home, he walks from Colorado to Louisiana (even though in the book, he goes to North Carolina) and just happens upon the town where she lives.
Get out. That’s so creepy. To make it worse, the movie leaves out a key component which would have maybe made it a little less so.
In the book, there is a scene where Logan goes boating with a friend who also served overseas. He says that Logan was fated to meet this girl – that’s why he survived those accidents. Abruptly, another boat crashes into their own, killing his friend.
If that scene was in the movie, I didn’t realize it. I think a glimpse of it might have happened, but not the entire story.
I’m pretty sure none of these scenes lasted more than four minutes, which did not help my short attention span. I could not picture any of the scenes at all.
I had expected at least one scene to leave me bawling. It is a sad story, after all. But no – it just dragged on. In my opinion, this movie should have ended 43 minutes in.
I can now say that I have seen the majority of Nicholas Sparks’ movie adaptations, and “The Lucky One” is by far the worst of them all.
BY: SHANNON HALL
Twin Shadow
“Confess”
Rating: 4.5/5
Twin Shadow has shown much progression on this second album. “Confess” is a more mature release and shows a change in style. Tracks are more fast-paced and add different instrumental elements while still maintaining that ’80s nostalgic sound.
Front man George Lewis Jr. is a great songwriter. This 12-track album tells the story of his post-motorcycle accident epiphany and his urge for more.
Before the album’s debut in July, the single “Five Seconds” was released. This was exciting for fans because it meant they were releasing a new album soon. This track set the pace of the album with its upbeat drums, syncopated beats and awesome guitar sounds.
Each song contributes another piece to the puzzle of what could have happened in his accident. Specific tracks, like “Run My Heart” and “When the Movie’s Over,” reflect the adventure the group had while completing this album.
The musical style expressed in “Confess” is perfectly synonymous with that of this technological age. It is quite a jump from Twin Shadow’s debut album “Forget,” but the perfect second step.
The album winds down toward the end with more serious sounds and concrete lyrics, showcased in the songs “I Don’t Care” and “Mirror in the Dark” (a hidden track).
BY ARI BEEDIE
Two Door Cinema Club
“Beacon”
Rating: 4/5
The new release by indie trio Two Door Cinema Club suits its name well. From beginning to end, “Beacon” shines in rays of poppy overbearance… but in a good way.
There’s enough musical disparity on the album to appease those who are set off by the bright, heavily-produced sound that is pretty consistent throughout.
Some of this disparity comes through in the catchy bass lines of the songs “Wake Up,” “Pyramid” and “Beacon.” “Wake Up” also has some coinciding guitar riffs to add to its creative repertoire.
“Sun” uses a layer of trumpets to add an ethereal element to the album, and “The World is Watching” boasts ambient, atmospheric vocals.
“Sleep Alone” has an alternating tempo yet maintains the catchiness of an up-tempo track, making it a thoughtful choice as the lead single.
The tracks “Settle” and “Beacon” force the album to slow down a little – but not too much. Both tracks have a rhythmic nature to them and feel more like a step back than a step in a different direction.
The only real problem I have with “Beacon,” which is really just me being nitpicky, is its lack of a solid slow song. Having at least one song to fulfill the more minimalistic, acoustic sound seems like a necessity for almost every artist – even hard rock bands do it.
But, with that said, “Beacon” is still a rewarding listen. And with fall right around the corner, this might just be the perfect “driving-around-town-with-the-windows-down” kind of album.
BY JAKE TAPLEY
The Chariot
“One Wing”
Rating: 5/5
The Chariot has always been a leader in the American hardcore music scene, but those who are familiar with the band know that they don’t really fit in with the likes of Have Heart, Title Fight and other hardcore bands. The Chariot’s sound has always been unique, blending together chaos, poetry, ferocity and pointed lyrics. Its new album “One Wing” is no different.
From start to finish, “One Wing” is loaded with powerful messages. The album starts at a frantic pace with “Forget,” which explores the idea of conformity, and then transitions to tracks like “Not” and “In,” which grapple with hypocrisy in society.
A particular song to take note of is “Speak,” which sits in the middle of the album. The track takes a dramatic turn from the fast, guitar-driven music of the rest of the album and is replaced by the sound of a single piano over which Josh Scogin, the band’s vocalist, lays out a passionate cry for forgiveness.
From this point on, the album picks up again and ends with the song “Cheek,” which sandwiches an excerpt of Charlie Chaplin’s famous speech in “The Great Dictator” between Scogin’s moving lyrics. The song serves as a powerful call to fight hate, deceit and greed.
Even for a band that never fails to put out music that is fresh and meaningful, it isn’t hard to call “One Wing” The Chariot’s best album yet. It succeeds in revealing yet another facet of The Chariot’s ever-changing identity.
BY: NICK EBERTZ
