The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Tuesday, November 21, 2017 — 5
MONKEY PUZZLE MUSIC
Sia did the thing every pop star does and made a Christmas album
‘Everyday Is Christmas’
is not Sia at her jolliest
She sings about puppies & sings about snow but there’s no real cheer
As an enthusiast of decked
out halls, poinsettias and heavily
ornamented
pine
trees,
I’d
assumed that Sia’s Everyday Is
Christmas would be the perfect
accompaniment
to
a
hearty
mug of rich, steaming eggnog.
However, where I was expecting
Sia’s unique, raggedly beautiful
voice to gleam with holiday spirit,
it only simmered, never truly
exploding into color or boiling
over with fierce attitude in the
same memorable way that it did in
last year’s This Is Acting.
For the most part, Everyday
is Christmas is filled with tracks
that fall just short of truly
memorable. “Santa’s Coming For
Us” is decent pop, fueled by a
bubbly cheer that can be expected
from a holiday-themed album,
but it lacks the catchiness that
distinguishes
classic
seasonal
tracks from merely forgettable
ones. Similarly, while “Ho Ho
Ho” is carefree at heart, fraught
with playful references to holiday
booze, something about the chord
progressions sounds off — and
not at all in a good way. By far the
most baffling track on the album
is “Puppies Are Forever.” The
title alone is confounding, and the
lyrics similarly so: “Puppies are
forever, not just for Christmas /
Cause they’re so cute and fluffy
with shiny coats / But will you
love ‘em when they’re old and
slow?” Sia sings, her voice taking
on a droning quality. Of course
puppies are forever. But what
about the concept is so significant
that it necessitates its own song on
a Christmas album?
Although it’s true that only
so many holiday related words
exist, it feels as if Sia didn’t even
try to come up with unique song
titles, which is a problem for
logical
reasons:
“Snowman,”
“Snowflake”
and
“Sunshine”
sound more like they should be
vocabulary words in a second
grade classroom than song names.
And with the ordering of the
tracks themselves — “Snowman”
and “Snowflake” come one after
the other — it’s easy to get the
songs mixed up, regardless of how
similar the music itself sounds.
All of that ignores that there are
bound to be countless other songs
of the same name that already
exist.
There’s always a pro for every
con, and for this album, that
would be the slower songs. In
“Underneath
The
Christmas
Lights,” the final track, Sia sheds
the false, gaudy brightness that
she relies on for most of the album
in favor of a stripped down choral
ballad that finally sounds genuine.
Just as with many of the other
tracks on the album, the lyrics are
relatively simplistic: “You are all I
need tonight / Oh, oh / Here above
the Christmas lights / Underneath
the Christmas lights,” Sia sings,
repeating the last lyric again and
again. However, in this song,
the simplicity works perfectly.
Accompanied by only a piano
and her own backing vocals, Sia’s
performance is akin to a heartfelt,
deliberately measured, mellowed
out version of Mariah Carey’s
1994 “All I Want For Christmas Is
You.”
After listening to a Christmas-
themed album, I want to feel as
if I’ve been plopped onto a snow
covered clearing surrounded
by trees strung with bright,
twinkling lights. My problem
with Everyday Is Christmas is
that with its lackluster lyrics,
repetitive,
droning
choruses
and downright uncreative song
titles, the album only seems to
partially commit to its supposed
subject. It’s got the jingle and
the commercialism down pat,
but
where’s
the
Christmas
spirit?
SAMANTHA LU
Daily Arts Writer
ALBUM REVIEW
CBS
Where are you Will?
True to name, nothing
happens in ‘No Activity’
Will Ferrell’s absent is noticeable in the pilot of his new series
CBS All-Access premiered a
new TV series, “No Activity,”
on Nov. 12 in the never-
ending fight for relevance.
“No Activity” is an American
adaptation of an Australian
cop comedy, centered around
the police force working to
bust a major drug cartel,
and the criminals that abet
the misconduct. The show
is carried out in pairs: two
detectives
on
stake
out,
two dispatch workers, two
criminals waiting out in a
shipping container and two
Mexican
tunnelers.
This
paired set-up allows for easy-
flowing humor, developed on
the innate, humorous nature of
opposites forced to interact.
Produced by Will Ferrell
(“Saturday Night Live”), Adam
McKay
(“Anchorman”)
and
Funny or Die, and featuring
an all-star comedic cast, “No
Activity” seemed destined to
be a slam dunk. However, the
shows title concisely states the
show’s biggest flaw: There is
no activity. I should preface
this by saying I have not seen
the Australian original; still,
that does not forgive the
fact that in the pilot episode,
there is no plot movement of
notable mention until the last
three minutes. Prior to that
final twist, the entire show
consists solely of expositional
conversation.
Another glaring error is the
absence of the top-billed star.
When you search the show on
Google, the first link to come
up says, “‘No Activity’ with
Will Ferrell,” yet 30 minutes
of my life later, I was left with
a complete and utter lack of
Ferrell; the man did not appear
in the pilot episode. For a show
seemingly building itself off
the star power of the actor
and producer, it is a bold move
to leave him out of the first
episode — which is a show’s
best means of pleaing its case
for return viewers.
While the writing of the
show is high quality and
delivers the trademark humor
you’d expect from Ferrell, it
suffers from a lack of action
to build comedy from, and
relies wholly on the dynamics
between the paired characters.
Each scene is shot in a play-like
fashion; the two characters
sit in the same position, with
an essentially fixed camera
perspective, leaving the viewer
hungry for movement. This
lack of literal and metaphorical
movement in these one-on-one
moments stunts their humor
because the jokes that start
off strong fizzle out by the
time the camera pans back to
another coupling.
The show’s trailer suggests
that there is more quality
content soon to come, but a
pilot episode should always
give viewers a good depiction
of what’s in store, and some
tension in the plot to ensure
they return — this was not
delivered. That being said,
the comedically stacked cast
gives the show its fighting
chance. With no plot motion
to
keep
viewers
engaged,
the flow between characters
needs to be spot on — and
it is. Amy Sedaris (“BoJack
Horseman”) delivers her usual
zany madness as the veteran
dispatch worker training an
unsuspecting newcomer, and
Tim Meadows (“Mean Girls”)
shines in the role of one half
of a police partner duo, basked
in the undertones of a nagging
wife, due to 11 years of service
together.
There
is
the
possibility
that leaving Ferrell out was a
deliberate act to bring people
back for episode two, and if
that was the case, they’ve
at least hooked me. I’m left
wondering if the addition of
Ferrell’s
character
will
be
enough to pick up the pace on
this show a bit. Plus, despite the
lack of plot, the quality of the
writing and acting presented a
compelling enough case to give
this show a second chance, and
perhaps give Ferrell a chance
to save it.
SOFIA LYNCH
Daily Arts Writer
TV REVIEW
In ‘Column of Fire’ Follett
illuminates the Medieval
In the next installment of the Kingsbridge, Follett brings us back
With his recently released
generational saga “Column of
Fire,” historical fiction guru
Ken Follett brings the latest
installment of the Kingsbridge
Series to the niche community of
Middle Age-enthusiasts. While
revivalist Medieval literature is
usually associated with dense
texts written in convoluted
language, Follett uses plain but
literary language to color the
world of Medieval Europe as a
vibrant and intricate space full
of the same human emotions
and experiences as any age.
Rife with drama, sex, intrigue,
politics
and
romance,
the
Kingsbridge books are wholly
captivating
and
impossible
to put down. These sweeping
generational sagas are between
900-1100 pages, but the length
isn’t oppressive. Rather, it allows
Follett and the reader to explore
a wide range of issues in this
period as well as the changes
that occur over time. Published
this
past
August,
“Column
of Fire” brings the classic
Kingsbridge elements lovers of
the series come to expect, with
some distinct differences that
both help and hurt it.
The
overarching
preoccupation
in
the
Kingsbridge series is change.
Follett
is
interested
in
architectural
change,
seen
most poignantly in the building
of the Kingsbridge Cathedral
that spans the entire first and
second book (“Pillars of the
Earth” and “World Without
End”). The narrative reflects
the long and grueling process
of building monuments in that
time, and Follett describes the
laying of each brick with an
accuracy that communicates his
intimate knowledge of medieval
architecture.
Follett is also interested in
geographical
change.
Over
the three books, Kingsbridge
expands from an insignificant
town to a hub of trade and
commerce.
The
narrative
scope
also
reflects
human
movement over time. “Pillars,”
set in the 1100s, focuses only
on Kingsbridge because travel
was difficult and dangerous in
that century. Set 400 years later,
“Column of Fire” spans across
Western Europe and beyond
in
a
narrative
that
mirrors
the
international
exchange
and
exploration of the
period afforded by
advancements
in
technology (bigger
and faster sailing
ships).
One of the most
interesting
and
captivating aspects
of the trilogy is
its
discussion
of
technology and labor specific to
the Middle Ages feudal society.
Follett is largely preoccupied
with the lower and middle
classes, the peasant farmers, the
craftsmen and the merchants.
Follett explores the intricacies
behind each form of labor,
from securing farm work to
transporting stone from the
quarry to dyeing and treating
wool. Follett also focuses heavily
on commerce, and is interested
in the human exchange of
currency, the negotiation of
contracts and the dynamics of
making a living in an age where
people buried their savings
underground.
Religion
is
another
huge
theme woven throughout the
Kingsbridge books. Besides the
working class, key characters
in the novels include priors,
bishops,
nuns,
missionaries
and
even
holy
monarchs.
Follett explores the dynamics
of
monasteries
in
“Pillars,”
the expansion of nunneries in
“World Without End,” and the
tumultuous Catholic
vs
Protestant
landscape
of
the
Reformation
in
“Column of Fire.”
He
both
exposes
the corruption of
religious
figures
and
celebrates
altruistic religious
zeal in an age where
the Church was an
integral component
of
life,
and
a
character in itself.
Overall,
Follett
braids
together
these
many
preoccupations with compelling
and dynamic characterizations.
His characters are not static,
but undergo emotional changes
influenced
by
experiences
that mold them and alter their
point of view. Follett tends to
use a character formula, and
his books contain the same
tropes:
a
male
protagonist
that is attractive, intelligent
and a natural born leader; a
strong female protagonist that
is
independent,
headstrong
and sexual, though not overly
so; and a male antagonist that
is
cunning,
power-hungry,
brutally violent, amoral and
asexual. While these character
tropes can become repetitive
and predictable, they interact in
different ways and in different
arrangements in each book.
Another characteristic aspect
of the trilogy, and what really
keeps you reading, is a book-long
unrequited romance between
two key figures that is dramatic
and overdrawn but gripping.
The
most
controversial
aspect
of
the
Kingsbridge
series is Follett’s treatment of
women. His female protagonists
maintain
incredible
agency,
have a voice, making decisions
largely
for
themselves
and
challenge
societal
ideas
of
women’s roles. Caris in “World
Without End” runs a prosperous
wool business and spearheads
the development of modern
medicine in Kingsbridge, while
Sylvie in “Column of Fire”
operates an illegal Protestant
book trade across Europe. But
beyond these strong female
leads, women are discussed
mainly in terms of prostitution
and rape. Rape in these books
is
frequent,
grotesque
and
viewed as an inevitable part
of life. Reading these scenes is
uncomfortable and disturbing,
begging the question: Is this an
important aspect of Medieval
life that is necessary for an
accurate portrayal, or is it
superfluous
and
indulgent?
Follett
writes
women
with
simultaneous
depth
and
superficiality that is difficult to
unpack.
“Column of Fire” widens the
scope of the Kingsbridge series
and allows for new possibilities
and areas of exploration. A game
board with constantly moving
set pieces, the novel involves
characters that originate in
England, France and Spain who
constantly move around Europe
and
interact
with
different
people. While this is somewhat
daunting and confusing at first,
the characters eventually come
together in classic Kingsbridge
fashion. Unlike the two before
it, this book is largely interested
in foreign policy and diplomacy,
focusing on the politics between
Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of
Scots and the de Guise family in
France, among other monarchs.
This focus on international
politics spotlights an important
time in European history, but
the grand scale detracts from
the small details of everyday life
specific to Kingsbridge books.
The
focus
on
international
politics makes for an exciting
and suspenseful narrative that
is captivating in its own way. But
because it is no longer rooted
in labor and the middle class,
“Column of Fire” neglects what
makes the Kingsbridge series
unique and dazzling in the first
place.
BOOK REVIEW
SYDNEY COHEN
Daily Arts Writer
“Column of
Fire”
Ken Follett
September 12,
2017
Kingsbridge
Everyday Is
Christmas
Sia
Monkey Puzzle
Music
“No Activity”
Series Premiere
Sundays
CBS