6A — Monday, September 12, 2016 Arts The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com By SAM ROSENBERG Daily Arts Writer If there’s anyone currently in pop culture with an idiosyncratic personality and perspective on life, it’s arguably Donald Glover. The 32-year-old wunderkind actor/rapper first rose to prominence on YouTube, and then as a young writer for NBC’s “30 Rock” before scoring a role on the cult hit “Community.” But around 2011, Glover began an unex- pected route into the world of hip-hop, releasing a multitude of EPs and mixtapes under the Wu- Tang generated moniker Childish Gambino. Though most critics didn’t initially take him seriously, Glover developed a loyal fanbase and thus continued to perform as Childish. He toured, released his second studio album Because the Internet in 2013 and his EP Kauai in 2014. As he eventually cut ties with “Community” and his stand-up background, Glover gradually went from being known as the goofy Troy on “Community” to a serious, hard-working and occa- sionally self-deprecating artist. Glover puts his knowledge of hip hop and comedy to good use, intersecting them beautifully and almost seamlessly as the writer, producer and star of the FX sit- com “Atlanta.” Blessed with an incredible cast, breathtaking visuals and authentic writing, the refreshing “Atlanta” achieves a rare balance between witty, deadpan humor and pathos that most comedies about success and the American Dream struggle to attain. Next to “Master of None,” “Atlanta” is the Goldilocks of socially conscious comedy: thought-provoking with- out being didactic, eccentric but not alienating and intelligent with- out trying to be high-brow. Among the few exciting TV pro- grams showcasing more diverse storytelling — “Master of None,” “The Get Down,” “The Carmi- chael Show” and the upcoming “Insecure” — “Atlanta” is a huge standout, presenting the modern day Black experience with both hilarious and sobering results. Glover leads as straight-man Earnest “Earn” Marks, a Princeton dropout struggling with a dead- end job at the airport and a compli- cated home situation with Vanessa (newcomer Zazie Beetz), his best friend and the mother of his infant daughter. But once he discovers his cousin Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry, “Boardwalk Empire”) is an up-and-coming rapper named Paper Boi, Earn sees an oppor- tunity to manage him and make something out of his own life. Plot-wise, “Atlanta” can seem like another conventional com- ing-of-age story, and in a sense, it is deceptively simple. How- ever, with Glover’s deft sensibili- ties and keen observational eye, “Atlanta” spins the formula in a thoughtful and entertaining way, making us laugh in one scene and pensively reflect during another. Directed by music video film- maker Hiro Murai, “Atlanta” ’s first two episodes make the most out of developing the characters and story, even showing the city itself as a character. Murai adopts a visual style as unconventional and intriguing as “Mr. Robot” ’s, utilizing the city’s spacious exte- rior with beautiful aerial shots and gorgeous wide shots and the interiors of city complexes with soft focus and intimate framing. While the pilot, “The Big Bang,” spends most of its half- hour setting up the story, as any first episode would, it quickly establishes each main character’s voice and personality, illustrated by the dynamic of Earn, Paper Boi and his soft-spoken assistant Darius (an excellent Keith Stan- field, “Straight Outta Compton”). At first, Paper Boi is reluctant to bring Earn aboard his burgeon- ing rap enterprise, believing that he’s only trying to manage him for the money. Both Earn’s per- sistence and Paper Boi’s hesitance seem genuine, thanks to their witty banter and both Glover and Henry’s acting chops. However, once Earn gets Paper Boi’s song on the radio, they join forces. Things seem to turn for the better until a hostile encounter with a hater leads both Earn and Paper Boi to jail. In the second episode, “Streets on Lock,” Earn and Paper Boi each experience the aftermath of that encounter to an equally gut-busting and terrifying effect. Uncomfortable with the early trappings of fame, Paper Boi attempts to divert his fans, but can’t seem to escape his notoriety. Simultaneously, while Earn waits in processing, he witnesses the mistreatment of the mentally ill, police brutality and transphobia in three blistering sequences. His awkwardness in these situations provide some much-needed levi- ty, but these scenes will neverthe- less render you speechless. The beauty of “Atlanta” is that it never once feels like it’s try- ing so hard to showcase why its observations on societal issues are important; it just does. The camera simply captures Earn, Paper Boi and Darius journey- ing through mundane everyday situations in the trenches of the Georgian capital. To sum it up: “Atlanta” is definitely one of the best (if not the best) shows of the fall season and truly captures the peak of Donald Glover’s career as an artist and voice of our genera- tion. Peachy ‘Atlanta’ A Atlanta Series Pre- miere (Two episodes watched) FX TV REVIEW ALBUM REVIEW Grouplove plays it safe on new Big Mess By SHIMA SADAGHIYANI Daily Arts Writer “We’re back in business / you’re such a big mess / and I love you,” is how Grouplove’s new album, Big Mess, begins, and it’s these three lines that largely sum up the rest of the album: a very big, aimless mess that, though unrestricted in its guitar strums and happy-go-lucky vocals, you can’t help but love. Despite the overall chaos of Big Mess, the album starts off relatively organized. “Welcome to Your Life” is a flashy attention-grabber of an intro song, very reminiscent of 2011- era Grouplove. Its hippie, feel- good sound directly mimics old iconic Grouplove favorites like “Tongue Tied” and “Lovely Cup.” “Welcome to Your Life” is the perfect first song because it skillfully captures Grouplove’s entire appeal as a band: the promise that, no matter where you are (even if it’s dreary Michigan in mid-November), within the first few notes, you’re instantly transported to somewhere stress-free, with warm sand underneath your toes and the sun illuminating all the beauty this world has to offer. With this first track, Grouplove grabs your hand and says “welcome to our album; it can also be your life.” Attention successfully captured, Grouplove wastes no time showcasing their best qualities through the songs “Do You Love Someone” and “Standing in The Sun.” Both of these tracks are mellower than “Welcome To Your Life,” yet both contain the same uninhibited quality. In every moment of these songs, Grouplove is holding nothing back; the background instruments clash together to produce a cacophony of sound that fits so perfectly with the simple, yet genuine vocals. Grouplove isn’t afraid to be cluttered, and in their imperfection comes authenticity. “Do You Love Someone” and “Standing in The Sun” are personable, optimistic and entirely pure in their pandemonium. Many of the songs in Big Mess, like “Good Morning” and “Cannonball,” hold these same qualities. In fact, looking at the individual songs in the album separately, Grouplove continues to put 110%, no holds barred, into each and every note. However, a problem materializes when viewing the album as a whole. Despite the vivacity of distinctive songs, there’s hardly any distinction in sound from one song to the next. Big Mess, overall, flatlines. While none of the songs are horrendous, they do all seem to blur into one giant clamor of California beach vibes and free spirit alt rock when listened to as a whole. For example, “Spinning,” when heard on its own, is a light song that’s easy and fun to listen to. The line, “Me, I can never stop my world from spinning” layers perfectly over the simple, optimistic jangle of the background music. However, when heard in succession with the extremely similar “Good Morning” and “Cannonball,” the song loses its charm and transforms into an indistinct mass. The songs in Big Mess are too homogenous, and thus the album loses the noteworthy characteristics that are apparent in its individual songs. “Enlighten Me” and “Traumatized” are the only two songs that show any variation from the rest of the album. “Enlighten Me” is darker and more melodramatic than any typical, upbeat Grouplove song, while “Traumatized” seems to draw influences from bands like Cage the Elephant and Pixies with its angry electric background and half-screaming vocals. These two songs are islands in the sea of monotony that is Big Mess and show where this album could’ve gone if Grouplove had experimented with their sound just a little more. Big Mess is a solid album with notable individual songs, but it’s very safe. Grouplove isn’t making any leaps or experiments, nor do they seem to want to. To take a stab at relevancy, whatever Grouplove produces next needs to take their sound up to the next level. But for now, unassuming, easygoing uniformity is the only thing to expect from Big Mess. B- Big Mess Grouplove Atlantic Records The problem is Big Mess, overall, flatlines.