Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

Like It Never Happened by Elizabeth and the Catapult:
Compared to Taller Children, this album has more highs and fewer listless ballads. Her style has evolved to incorporate more clown chords and electronica, reminding me to some extent of Bird and the Bee. The opener, Happy Pop, is one of the stronger songs.

Final Grade: B+

Brand New Thing by Doc Severinsen:
I somehow overlooked this album in my mass consumption of all things Doc during high school, even though it's now 38 years old. It's a very polished collection of lush combo funk served over a bed of creamy cello chords, with Doc as a well-balanced part of the ensemble, rather than screaming over the top.

Final Grade: B+

Lie to Me, Season Two:
The second season of this show is a full 22 episodes, and the writing has greatly improved. The "B story" found so often in procedurals is killed in favour of making the "A story" more interesting, and the writers have a better grasp on giving each plot a sense of urgency that was missing from most of season one. Free on Amazon Prime.

Final Grade: B+

Legend of Grimrock 2:
I got a solid 10 hours of entertainment out of the original Grimrock, but stopped because the character progression was ultimately pretty shallow. I picked up the sequel in a Steam sale, but apparently I've moved on from the hybrid grid-based, real-time system that frames the game. I only played this one for about 80 minutes before tiring of the cryptic riddles and hunger mechanics.

Final Grade: Not Graded