The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - 5
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, October 21, 2014- 5
Stop looking over your shoulder,
Jessie Ware avoids
sophomore slump
UK R&B star
returns with sexy
'Tough Love'
By MELINA GLUSAC
For The Daily
Tired, familiar, boring -
that's the sophomore slump.
Many artists fall into it and
can't get
back up. A-
And that's
what British Tough Love
technodiva
Jessie Ware Jessie Ware
seems keen PMR Records
to avoid,
as if she's
never heard those words strung
together. She's back - after
her critically-acclaimed first
album, Devotion - and better,
crisper and sexier than ever.
Tough Love is a sultry, intimate
journey through the more des-
perate phase of love, and Ware's
sultry R&B vocals illuminate
this glistening compilation of,
well, sheer electronic genius.
What's cool about Ware is
her fluidity - she doesn't eon-
fine herself to a genre and
is therefore more success-
ful, more progressive. Songs
like "Kind of ... Sometimes ...
Maybe" and "Keep on Lying"
are prime examples of this art.
The melodies, discounting all
added elements, are distinc-
tively R&B, and it's easy to
imagine chanteuses like Mary
J. Blige or Keyshia Cole work-
ing their magic on them. But
Ware's unique techno infusion
- synths, quirky sound bites
and irresistible drums - make
each tune fresh and exciting.
It's Ware's world, and it works
for her.
The album maintains a cer-
tain funkiness throughout its 43
minutes, an interesting consis-
tency the listener will appreciate.
That's not to say it gets boring,
though. The title track and first
single, "Tough Love," is a Prince-
esque, minimalistic groove, and
atmospheric back-up mixed
with soulful falsetto make it one
of the strongest tracks. Songs
like "Champagne Kisses" and
"Sweetest Song" follow suit, each
equally as passionate, though
maybe not as memorable. Just
when it seems the listener has
Ware pegged, though, she sur-
prises them with "Say You Love
Me," an acoustically supported,
sexy ballad co-penned by mas-
ter of desperation Ed Sheeran. It
sounds like a Sheeran song (same
chord progression as his new
single, "Thinking Out Loud"), but
in the grand scheme of Ware's
album, it's a fun plot twist in the
stripped-down direction, com-
plete with a gospel choir near the
final crescendo.
And Ware offers several
songs that highlight her marvel-
ous voice. It shines the most on
"Pieces," a slow, sensuous, seri-
ous number with Ware croon-
ing, "I had to shatter to pieces
/ You made me reveal myself,
reveal myself / So if you no lon-
ger need them / Then give them
to someone else." She laces even
the saddest of lyrics with a "diva"
vocal inflection, citing power-
houses like Whitney Houston
and Mariah Carey as some of her
biggest inspirations. That admi-
ration shows in the subtle vocal
runs and pure, natural power
she emits on almost every track
- even the softer ones - and
this, once again, is what sets her
apart from the wannabes. It feels
effortless.
Ware cools it down on "You
& I (Forever)," a whispery siren
song co-produced by Ware's
male vocal soulmate, Miguel. It's
justifiably decent, but the cho-
rus sounds like a typical Katy
Perry-ish pop song and is not as
interesting as the others - good
thing the verses, intro and cool
synths distract from it.
She hasn't hit it big in the
U.S. yet, but this sophomore
album is wise in closing with
"Desire," an echo-y, booming
number that reflects the tone
of the album. Soulful and mys-
terious, it drips with emotion
and sensuality while remaining
extremely listenable. "Desire"
fades out with Ware pleading "...
and I need you ... and I need you."
Some tough love for America:
we need Ware.
Why is the British Parliament watching this ssrgery?
'he K nick'stuns in
first season finale
Soderbergh's turn-
of-the-century
drama comes to a
shocking close
By DREW MARON
Daily Arts Writer
This review contains major
spoilers from this season of
"The Knick."
In the
season A+
finale of
Cinemax's The Knick
stunning Season Finale
new series
"The Cinemax
Knick," Dr.
Thackery
(Clive Owen, "Sin City: A Dame
To Kill For") kills a young
woman during an experimental
procedure. Was it the. cocaine-
in his blood, or was there a
greater flaw in the procedure?
By the end of "Crutchfield,"
the only thing we're left with
are dreadful ambiguities
- Algernon's current state
following his beating, Barrow's
debt to Wu and uncertainty
all the characters face as the
Knick looks to move uptown.
"The Knick," as of right
now, is the best new show
on television, and certainly
the only new show that can
join the ranks of "elite" cable
programming such as fellow
newcomer "True Detective."
The show's finale mirrored
its shocking beginning
flawlessly. We began with
one of the most grotesque
sequence of events to take
place on television. Within the
first five minutes of the series,
we see a gruesomely failed
C-section with both mother
and child dead, followed by
the suicide of acting surgeon
Dr. Christiansen (Matt
Frewer, "Orphan Black").
Now, in "Crutchfield," the
season finale, Dr. Thackery
hopes to make a breakthrough,
using his own blood in
an experimental blood
transfusion. Unfortunately,
he doesn't consider the levels
of cocaine in his blood and the
impact it'll have on the young
girl. Or was it some separate
fatal error in logic? In "The
Knick," nothing is ever gained
easily in the pursuit of truth.
Unlike the C-section scene
from the series opener, the
failed blood transfusion
focused not on sheer
bloodcurdling shock value
but on heart-crushing defeat
in the face of death. To make
matters worse, Thackery
seeks redemption from the
rehabilitation facility, but
winds up in the exact same
place he does at the beginning
of the season: passed out on
drugs.
Herein lies the logic behind
much of "The Knick's" social
commentary. We are still
talking about the things they
did in 1900. But then again,
should that exonerate bigotry?
After all, just because we',
were doing it in 1900 doesn't
make it okay. As shown in this
week's episode, they also used
to think toothaches caused
mental disease and heroin
cured cocaine addiction. "The
Knick," and "Crutchfield"
especially, asks the question
of where our body stops and
our humanity begins, where
the individual ceases and his
or her society takes over.
Anyone who was wondering
what racism had to do with
medicine will undoubtedly
understand it's place in
the final episode with the
termination of Cornelia (Juliet
Rylance, "Sinister") and Dr.
Edward's (Andre Holland,
"42") unborn child. The final
scene of him street-fighting
juxtaposes tragically with
Cornelia's wedding, and
you realize just how much
you've come to care for these
characters in the short time
we've had with them.
A few surprises also made
their way into "The Knick"
this week. Notably, Sister
Harriet (Cara Seymour, "An
Education") revealed herself
to be personally performing
the abortion procedures. The
story of boozy ambulance
driver Tom Cleary (newcomer
Chris Sullivan) and Harriet
remains one of the series'
strong points, but until this
episode their arrangement
remained a little unclear.
Fortunately for fans, their
story seems far from over.
Another thread hanging in
the balance is Barrow (Jeremy
Bobb, "House of Cards") and
his employment of Wu (Perry
Yung, "The Carrie Diaries")
to murder loan-shark Collier
(Danny Hoch, "The Good
Wife").Butit'snotWu'sshadow
which haunts the viewer in
Barrow's storyline. Barrow got
punched in the testicles and
there was a definite "squish."
Even after the scene, Barrow
carried himself in a way that
was noticeably uncomfortable.
If this means the first surgical
castration on television, let's
be honest, "The Knick" is
likely where it'd happef.
But then again, that's
the genius of "The Knick"
and something very much
intentional. This show can be
considered just as much horror
or noir as period and medical
drama. Every scene's filled
with tension and refuses to
let go, no matter how horrific
things might be. Yet, despite
the utter dread - pervasive
through every frame, there's
the promise of greater truth
and understanding. The same
can be said about surgery and
research, and that's ultimately
what "The Knick" is: a long
overdue medical exam on
who we are as a people and
as a society. It might not be
pleasant to look at, but it also
might just save our lives. It
also helps that we've been
given some truly wonderful
characters to spend our time
with, each played in heartfelt
and affable performances by
the cast.
Season two begins
production in 2015 and it's
unclear if Soderbergh will
return, but as long as Thackery
and the rest of the circus at the
Knick are there, any viewer
will be in the very best of care.
TV\ R V I W
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NBC sitcom ignorance, Jake is behind her
already on oneknee inthe propos-
ries hard, lacks al plan she has always dreamed of
- the one she is screaming to him
originality about.
After embarrassing herself,
By KAREN HUA Annie finally decides to put things
For TheDaily right - in an "empowering" move
to propose to her boyfriend. Ironi-
vidCaspe("HappyEndings") cally, her grand gesture leads to
eated a new sitcom inspired Jake's firing.
s recent marriage to the Essentially, the pilot explores
s fore- how a couple can still find a spark
Casey [ after six years of dating and the
n. emotional commitment that comes
despite Marry Me with marriage. After a whirlwind
earnest Tuesdays at 9 p.m. of mishap proposals, Annie and
ores, NBC Jake classically question if they
quickly truly belong together. Yet, in their
es evi- separate fits of hysteria, they coin-
that the excellent cast and cidentally bump into each other at
g comedic writing are over- their favorite nachobar, where they
ensating for the show's lack decide that their liability to avoid
ginality. each other must be apositive sign.
e pilot jumps in with Jake Though the pilot sets an ener-
Marino, "Role Models"), getic tone, it is difficult to see the
has been putting up with his show's potential. There are only
end Annie's (Wilson, "Gone many quirky events that can occur
crazed but charming out- betweenanengagementand amar-
s for six years. riagethatnhaven't already been por-
ch to the dismay of feminists trayed on rom-com television. The
where, Annie grows impa- show will have to evoke fresh issues
for a proposal because she without reverting to the recur-
es that society sees marriage ring template of "seeing signs that
e next step in any mature they're meant tobe."
onship. At her own surprise The show ultimately makes the
ement party, she unknow- not-so-novel argument that love
bashes the love lives of her is not perfect. The characters are
is and family, including that meant to be revolutionary, but they
ke's lethargic, "trashy" best unfortunately constitute an amal-
I Gil (John Gemberling, gamation of personalities from the
d City"), that of his bitchy, array of existing romantic come-
ed mother (JoBeth Williams, dies. Annie, for example, stands as
rgeist") and the lack thereof the egregiously flawed girlfriend
r own best friend Deenah who always botches things up -
h Wright, "21 and Over"). yet she supposedly "upsets" the
ich to Annie's self-absorbed stereotype that awkward women
can'tbe loved.
Annie and Jake's friends are
gradually introduced to help them
solve their engagement issues,
and they, too, fit the stock roles of
sitcom characters. To add to the
show's pseudo-groundbreaking
nature, Annie also has two ador-
ably gay dads (played by Tim
Meadows, "SNL" and Dan Buca-
tinsky, "Scandal").
But there are times when
Annie's vivacity becomes cartoon-
ish, taking the drama-queen per-
sona a bit too far for reality. She
is quite reminiscent of Wilson's
Penny from "Happy Endings,"
where despite her often annoying
personal qualities, she still con-
vinces the audience to root for her
unstable relationship.
On the other hand, Jake's per-
sonality does not stand firmly on
its own, as it relies and even has
rub-offs from Annie's actions. His
one-dimensional ways may be a
challenge to progress through the
series.
The scenes, though noth-
ing original, still endearingly
showcase the fated love between
Annie and Jake - from their first
date where Annie hypocritically
accosts Jake, to the time when she
blurts "I love you" from a karaoke
stage. Jake's rational composure
certainly complements her emo-
tionally frantic qualities, which
eliminates the show's need for a
straight man since they are effort-
lessly funny together.
Going forward, "Marry Me"
doesn't needto try so hard to retain
the audience's interest, because
the simple chemistry of Wilson
and Marino can hold it up more
than the cliches they embody.
CINEMAX
"Antibiotics? That's preposterous. This is a period piece, damnit! We don't even know what soap is, probably."
4
xa