Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

Arctic Monkeys
Humbug

The Arctic Monkeys are back and they’re back with their third album ‘Humbug’. Recorded in California with Josh Homme, frontman of Queens of the Stone Age, the band have created a darker sound that takes their music to a whole new level. Following the success of their highly-acclaimed debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ in 2006, and the more hard-edged second ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ a year later, ‘Humbug’ is a more mature album that displays the musical abilities within the band.

Throughout the album, Homme’s influence is clear as the songs are more sinister and menacing than in previous collections. Truthfully, this heavier sound is quite hard to get your head around after a first listen but ‘Humbug’ proves to be the most coherent Monkeys album to date as the tracks move seamlessly from start to finish. Alex Turner’s voice continues to improve, especially on opening track ‘My Propeller’ but it is his lyrics that remain the most striking thing about his albums. While they seem darker than before, the sarcastic sneering that characterised the earliest albums are still there, particularly in ‘Dance Little Liar’ and the more unsettling penultimate track ‘Pretty Visitors’. The album’s best track ‘Crying Lightening’, although not as volcanic as ‘Brianstorm’ on ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ is just as memorable and very moreish.

This is a brave move by the Arctic Monkeys who seem to have grown in confidence in their own abilities. It would be easy to create a dozen new albums full of anthems like ‘I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor’ and ‘When the Sun Goes Down’ but it is clear that they want to move away from this image that was then followed by a huge number of bands who just proved to be pale imitators. Many fans will wonder why the band has changed something that was working so well as they are in danger of losing the killer melodies that they are most famous for. On the other hand, never comfortable with their unofficial title as the ‘voice of a generation’, ‘Humbug’ shrugs off this burden as they take a big step forward, ensuring an interesting future.

Book Review: Small Island

This novel by Andrea Levy gives a view into the life of both British and Jamaican people living before, during, and after the second World War. The novel has several different narrators. Queenie Bligh; an English woman who believes her husband to be dead and therefore forced to take Jamaican lodgers to get by(much to the chagrin of her neighbours); her husband Bernard; a banker who finds himself in war torn India; Hortense, a Jamaican woman from a good home and dreams of better things and her husband Airman Gilbert Joseph who both find themselves treated as second class citizens when they travel to England in search of better things.

The novel follows these characters lives, with each chapter being from one of their perspectives. I found it a truly insightful look into the past of Britain and the nature of 'The Empire'. Personally, I found the book improved as it progressed as the events became more dramatic and gripping and the characters became more and more developed. I didn't like each character all of the time, but that only made it all the more real as I saw their faults as well as good qualities and how others view them. For example, I found Bernard's devotion to Queenie and his country very touching, yet his attitude towards Gilbert is far from civilised. I found that characters I felt indifferent towards or disliked I grew to like as the book progressed, the character of Hortense especially. In the beginning I found her pretentious and cruel, yet by the end, after seeing life through her eyes and seeing how she changed I grew to like her.

However, one character I more or less liked consistently was Gilbert. Not only was he was funny and good natured, but he was terrifically observant and in many ways tragic. He had dreams of becoming a lawyer, but was condemned to go through life as a driver, first for his mother's cake business, then in the RAF after being refused the position as a pilot, and finally as a post van driver after being rejected from law school. He gives the reader a magnificent view of life as a Jamaican in Britain and the injustice of their position in society. Gilbert and his fellow Jamaicans know everything there is to know about Britain; what products are made where; famous Britons; famous monuments. Yet when you ask the average man in England at the time 'Where is Jamaica?' He would reply 'Somewhere in Africa isn't it?'. And the more wealthy are no better; they rave about Jamaica's savage jungles and even more savage natives; and, of course, how lucky the natives were that the British were there to 'civilise' them. When we are reading Gilbert's narrative, we are given wonderful metaphors and insightful observations into the world around him, yet to many he is nothing more than a savage, and to the more 'open minded' he is a child to be taught the ways of the 'Mother Country'

I thought that this book was superbly written with vivid descriptions and wonderfully constructed characters. Not only that, but I thought it was an incredibly interesting subject as I knew little about race relations in my own country before and after World War II. I saw life in Jamaica and life in Britain, the plight of a black soldier and the plight of a white one. I saw the terror felt in battle and the terror felt during an air raid. It is clear that Levy has researched her subject well and has a wonderful grasp of what is at it's core. I think this book will appeal to all kinds of people, there is romance, action, sorrow and humour but most importantly it is a book that entertains you but finds you really interested in it's subject matter and very thoughtful about our past as a country.

St Ninian's Life Group

What is the LIFE group?

LIFE is an organisation that supports and cares for women who are considering an abortion, suffering after having had an abortion or are facing having their baby in difficult personal or financial circumstances.

St Ninian's LIFE Group help LIFE do this by raising both funds and awareness through coffee mornings, masses and sponsored walks.
Click here to visit the life group blog.

Film Review - Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

Being a self-confessed Harry Potter fanatic, I found the concept of the sixth in a series of gripping films greatly appealing. And, as hoped, the wizards behind the magic of the Harry Potter films failed to disappoint yet again.
Granted, this was not by any stretch of the imagination a film adaptation of the book, missing various storylines and the epic battle at the end of the book. However, this is excusable given the ever-increasing size and complexity of the novels. Nevertheless, there's no denying that this is, in it's own right, a spectacular film. With laugh-out-loud moments at every corner and hormones running at an all-time high within the wondrous walls of Hogwarts, the sixth Harry Potter film sees the development of characters, old and new, reach an entirely new level.
This is the darkest film so far, reflecting the turmoil into which the wizarding community is being thrown and yet, the creators have managed to concoct a perfect potion of dark humour, serious plots, and the entirely clumsy nature of adolescent romances. On the other hand, the core plot is where non-readers are at a loss as the whole storyline behind the hunt for Horcruxes is explained with such brevity that it has a detrimental effect upon the audience's understanding of this particular plot.
There is no doubt in my mind that this captivating film leaves the audience wanting more. "Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince" has, if anything, confirmed my loyalty towards the series and has left me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails for what's to come next.

peace and love

eilidhbailey.

Film Review- 'Moon'

In respect to films, 2009 has been disappointing; the same cheap, cliche plots used over and over again. I will admit that some were vaguely entertaining and some could even be called good, but these films were few.

Aren't people starting to lust for something more? Something that makes you think, something exciting, something unique. I definitely have, and I've found it.

'Moon', directed by Duncan Jones (David Bowie's son), is a breathtaking film set in the future. The main character is Sam Bell, played by Sam Rockwell, an astronaut working for a company which is harvesting the surface of the moon with automated machines. Sam Bell's job is to supervise and maintain the machinery for three years, completely isolated from all humans, with only the videos from his family and a monotonous talking robot called GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey) to keep him sane.

Sam reaches the last two weeks of his job and is desperate to return to his wife and daughter, and leave the harsh, cold loneliness of the lunar facility. However when out on the surface of the moon he begins to hallucinate and crashes his moon-buggy into a piece of machinery. What he finds when he goes to repair it forces him to confront whether his three years of solitude have affected him mentally.

Sam Rockwell plays this character beautifully and all the way throughout the film your heart reaches out to him. So go see 'Moon' and be prepared to face the reality of isolation and explore the many possibilities the future could hold.

Any Reviews?

If youve been to a recent gig, or have a gig lined up and would like to share your enthusiam or disappointment, let us know. Bluegrass to Bangora, tell us about the best of times....the worst of times.

St Ninians Got Talent!

This year St Ninians is going to be holding its very first talent competition! Auditions are being held for the first round on the 30th of September, after school in the street. All variety of acts are welcome to audition, from jugglers to singers! All proceeds from the shows will be going to charity. Hosted by Caitlin O'Neil and Mark Carr, its rumored that the winner will be performing at the 6th year prom. Dates for the live night shows will be confirmed later this month, by the head team and here,the school website and on the school buzz. Watch this space..