Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

OK Orchestra by AJR:
AJR's latest release is pretty solid -- well-sampled beats with introspective lyrics about peoples' awkward younger years. BANG! is a good example.

Final Grade: B+

Utopia, Season One (UK):
We started this dark conspiracy show (the UK version not the more violent US remake) amidst a dearth of other TV options. It's fine when nothing else is on but not spectacular. Lots of exposition dumps slow down the pace and the characters aren't particularly interesting in their own right. We've been stalled on Episode 4 of 6 for weeks now and haven't had much incentive to pick it back up.

Final Grade: Not Rated

The Attractions of Youth by Barns Courtney:
I first heard of Barns Courtney through Glitter and Gold. This album is full of similar, catchy tunes.

Final Grade: B+

On to Something by Von Smith:
I picked up this solo album based on Von Smith's collaborations with Postmodern Jukebox. There are a lot of cool ideas in these songs yet none of them really "radio-ready" pop songs. Changing tempos and contrasting styles (within the same song) abound. Carnival of Life is a good example.

Final Grade: B