The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Tuesday, January 30, 2018 — 5

Last year was the year of Migos. 
They began 2017 by releasing their 
tour de force, Culture, a project that 
catapulted them to international 
stardom. They maintained their 
public presence throughout the 
year: A series of well-placed 
features (e.g. “Slide” by Calvin 
Harris 
and 
“Congratulations” 
by Post Malone), the release of 
collaborative 
albums 
(Huncho 
Jack, Jack Huncho and Without 
Warning) as well as a leading role 
on Quality Control’s compilation 
album Control the Streets Volume 
1 kept them in the limelight.
There was no way that Culture 
II would have that same X-factor 
that Culture possessed; sequels 
almost never do. My first listen 
through, I really disliked this 
album. I went in worried that the 
excessive length and repetitious 
flows of the members (a crime of 
which Quavo is particularly guilty) 
would make this project a chore to 
get through. The opening tracks 
seemed to confirm my fears — this 
would be a project bogged down by 
sameness and lack of innovation, 
the death knell of Migos’s time in 
the spotlight. Sure, “Walk It Talk 
It,” “BBO (Bad Bitches Only)” and 

maybe “Narcos” would be hits, 
but they felt stale nonetheless 
and were surrounded by below 
average cuts. It was only on track 
nine (“Stir Fry”) that the album 
began to feel like something new. 
Previously released as a single, 
this Pharrell-produced song is an 

auspicious sign for the rest of the 
album. “Too Much Jewelry” is 
OK but bland until the 2:45 mark, 
where some captivating autotune 
comes in (it sounds almost like a 
talkbox at times). “White Sand” is 
probably the most disappointing 
track on the album — with Travis 
Scott production and a star-
studded ensemble of features one 
would expect a strong outing, but 
the end product is weak in every 
way.
Perhaps the most interesting 
track is “Gang Gang.” The beat 
grabs immediately — it’s kind of 
melancholy, not a vibe ever really 
explored by Migos before. It’s 
quite poppy as well (produced by 
The Arcade, known mostly for his 
work with Iggy Azalea). It perhaps 
suffers from a overly-repetitive 

hook, but it’s new territory for 
Migos regardless.
The decision to make a 24-track 
album bottom-heavy is bold, the 
stretch from tracks 20-23 (“Notice 
Me” to “Top Down On Da NAWF”) 
being the most consistent section 
of the album by far. Culture felt 
polished and restrained, only 13 
tracks long. Culture II is almost 
double that, and in serious need of 
some cuts.
An ideal version of Culture II 
would have a tracklist something 
like:
“Supastars”
“Narcos”
“BBO (Bad Bitches Only)”
“Walk It Talk It”
“Stir Fry”
“Too Much Jewelry”
“Gang Gang”
“Crown the Kings”
“Open It Up”
“Motorsport”
“Notice Me”
“Too Playa”
“Made Men”
“Top Down On Da NAWF”
This 
tracklist 
would 
rival 
Culture in terms of quality and 
variety, but not in terms of cultural 
influence. Culture II feels like a 
transitionary album; Migos have 
reached a point in their career at 
which they have to choose what 
path to follow next.

On ‘Culture II’ Migos falls 
victim to the sequel curse

COMMUNITY CULTURE NOTEBOOK

JONAH MENDELSON
Daily Arts Writer

QUALITY CONTROL

I met a stranger this Tuesday 
at The Ark.
Now at my keyboard, I want 
to make another introduction to 
you: Here is Backstage Pass, The 
Daily’s new series where writers 
share their experiences meeting 
new people in the setting of Ann 
Arbor’s arts scene.
At the top of the staircase 
in this house of folk, I kept an 
eye out for indicators of an 
undergraduate female in the 
line of people ascending the 
staircase. A girl in a red coat 
came up to me asking if I was 
Alex. Easy.
Mariah 
Scissom, 
LSA 
sophomore, 
joined 
me 
for 
Twisted 
Pine’s 
performance 
at The Ark on “Take A Chance 
Tuesday,” where non perishable 
food donations were welcomed 
in place of ticket fare.
In 
the 
prelude 
to 
the 
performance, we talked about 
Fleetwood 
Mac’s 
Rumours, 
an 
album 
thematically 
and 
sequentially 
linked 
to 
the 
breakups of the band members. I 
also learned that Mic Fleetwood 
is a member of Fleetwood Mac, 
and we agreed Fleetwood Mic 
would have probably been a 
less suitable band name. So it 
felt eerily coincidental that, 
after this conversation, Twisted 
Pine’s performance seemed to 
be love-themed and spoke to bad 
relationships. The night’s set 
featured “Bad Boyfriend” — for 
all of those in the audience who 
have had a bad boyfriend “or are 
a bad boyfriend,” said guitarist 
Rachel Sumner.
While I watched the quartet 
strum on stage, I thought about 
how I would confront the 

unfamiliar task of how to write 
about music. I’m not well-versed 
in the language of music — I 
don’t know how to speak about 
it — but I believe I know how 
to engage my ears. I let myself 
absorb the beats and vibrations 
from the instruments and vocals, 
physically feeling the emotion in 
the music. I really try to listen 
to the lyrics so they register 
as words rather than sounds, 
listening and connecting to the 
stories that singers vocalize.
I realized that music is another 
medium, like visual art, to share 
universal themes, feelings and 
passions 
that 
everyone 
will 
experience in some way. In the 
dim lighting of this music hall, an 
audience of strangers engaged in 
communal listening, captivated 
by the unifying vibrations and 
vocals of Twisted Pine.
This felt like the right type 
of place to meet a new person. 
Art is a good fostering ground 
for 
connection. 
Music 
and 
art filled our conversations, 
and together we shared the 
experience 
of 
enjoying 
the 
music. We commented on what 
we had expected and were 
surprised by during the breaks 
between songs, and we laughed 
at funny commentary from the 
performers.
Mariah told me she doesn’t 
really know how to talk about 
music either. But she helped 
me out in trying to explain the 
sounds we experienced.
“It was a little folky, wasn’t 
it?” she said. “But it also kinda 
had some flair.”
I would say so. Twisted Pine’s 
website describes the band as 
a quartet that has progressed 
from 
its 
bluegrass 
origins, 
moving “beyond the standard 
verse-chorus-solo 
structure 
of traditional string bands ... 

(bringing) the enveloping sound 
and pop hooks of indie music 
to an acoustic instrumental 
setting.”
The band brought a good 
energy that was visible in their 
group dynamic on stage.
“You 
could 
tell 
they 
all 
supported each other ‘cause they 
would just smile at each other 
or nod along when someone 
was doing a solo,” Mariah said. 
“The whole vibe of the band and 
the way they interact with each 
other made it more interesting 
and more fun.”
The members of Twisted Pine 
connected with each other and 
connected in creating music. 
And being the visual arts lover 
I am, the visual elements of 
the performance piqued my 
curiosity: the color blocking on 
fiddler Kathleen Parks’s shift 
dress, Rachel Sumner’s striking 
resemblance to my cousin, the 
sway of the bass in Chris Sartori’s 
grip and Mandolinist Dan Bui’s 
expression 
of 
concentration 
and passion as he played his 
instrument.
The performance ended on a 
familiar note: some Bill Monroe, 
The Beatles and a warm farewell 
from 
Sumner: 
“Thank 
you 
Michigan, we love you!”
Afterward, we walked up 
Main Street until we broke off at 
State Theatre. We are both Art 
History majors, and along the 
way, we shared our aspirations 
to forge professional careers 
in the art world. So, my night 
ended on an exciting note — high 
from talking about my passions 
and dreams. In saying farewell 
to this stranger that I may not 
meet again, to this band I may 
not see again, I took away with 
me invigorated optimism for the 
power of art to connect people — 
strangers and friends alike.

Backstage Pass: Meeting a 
stranger for Twisted Pine

ALEX SUPPAN
Daily Arts Writer

Dual universes, same actor 
playing 
multiple 
characters, 
espionage 
thriller 
with 
sci-fi
 
elements — yawn. We’ve all seen 
that before. On the surface, Starz’s 
“Counterpart” seems to be a new 
addition into the canon of works 
we’ve seen a million times, but 
with a tight, smart plot and some 
virtuoso performances, it manages 
to stand out from the pack.
Set in Berlin, “Counterpart” 
centers upon Howard Silk (J.K. 
Simmons, “Whiplash”), an aging, 
lowly bureaucrat who is trying 
to finally move up the corporate 
ladder while also trying to remain 
hopeful after his wife enters a 
coma as a result of an accident. 
He is thrust into the center of an 
incredible conflict when he meets 
his “other,” a physically identical 
version of himself who lives 
in another dimension. He also 
discovers that the very building he 
works with is the “crossing” into 
the other dimension.
Purely based on the premise, 
this show could have fallen 
horribly flat with an ineffective 
portrayal of Silk and his other. 
Luckily, 
J.K. 
Simmons 
goes 

above and beyond “serviceable” 
and provides the single most 
compelling reason to watch this 
show. Silk in “our” world is a tame, 
bumbling, bureaucratic slave — 
exactly the type of guy who can 
work at a place for 30 years and 
never manage to get a promotion. 
The “other” Silk puts Simmons 
in more familiar territory. He is 
more reminiscent of the stern jazz 
instructor Terence Fletcher in 
“Whiplash,” exuding confidence 
and machismo as he enters 

“our” world to chase down an 
interdimensional killer.
When presented with the task of 
playing multiple characters, many 
actors fall into the habit of letting 
themselves creep into both roles 
rather than letting each character 
breathe on their own. Simmons 
avoids this completely and plays 
both Silks with a stunning level 
of 
nuance. 
Everything 
down 
to small facial movements and 
speaking tone is distinct for 
both characters, making it more 

impactful when both Silks discuss 
the commonalities they actually 
share. While Simmons steals 
the show, the characters of Peter 
Quayle (Harry Lloyd, “Game of 
Thrones”) and Aldrich (Ulrich 
Thomsen, 
“Mortdecai”) 
are 
valuable, if understated, additions.
The world of “Counterpart” 
has a simultaneously retro and 
futuristic aesthetic, juxtaposing 
large, ancient computers with 
modern EDM nightclubs. The 
writing is tight, featuring few lines 
of wasted dialogue and moving the 
plot forward at a brisk pace. While 
it seems that there is an immense 
number of plot points to dig into 
and eventually tie together, these 
attributes inspire confidence that 
the show will be able to pull such a 
feat off successfully.
Perhaps the most intriguing part 
of the show is the set of questions it 
already raises. The Howard Silks 
we meet are physically identical 
and even share the same wives, 
families, etc. Their incredibly 
obvious divergence in personality 
asks the question of whether they 
were each born with different 
personalities or whether it can be 
attributed to a series of different 
life choices. The well-crafted first 
episode is a solid encouragement 
to come back for the answers.

“Counterpart”

Season 1 Premiere

Sundays @ 8 p.m.

Starz

‘Counterpart’ bolstered 
by masterclass Simmons

SAYAN GHOSH
Daily Arts Writer

The “Maze Runner” films have 
always been some of the most 
resoundingly average entries to 
come out of the young adult boom 
of the late 2000s, neither as good 
as the first two “Hunger Games” 
movies or as bad as the last two 
“Hunger Games” movies. The 
characters are nothing special 
and there’s not really anything 
to the performances despite 
the obvious talent of the cast in 
other projects, but the action is 
generally thrilling and there’s 
a sense of a scale that’s missing 
from other films of this sort. The 
movies overall just fall into the 
middle ground of the genre as 
a result: mostly forgettable but 
semi-enjoyable in the moment.
On the surface, “The Death 
Cure” — which finds Thomas 
(Dylan 
O’Brien, 
“American 
Assassin”) and co. traveling to 
the last city on Earth to rescue 
their captured friends from 
evil organization WCKD — is 
no different in those regards. 
It’s 
underneath 
that 
veneer 
that something different begins 
to show. It struck me as I was 
walking out of the theater: “The 
Death Cure” represents the end 
of an era. The “Maze Runner” 
series, 
despite 
its 
middling 
quality, is the last major young 
adult franchise from the boom 
that gave us “The Hunger 
Games,” “The Divergent Series,” 
“The Twilight Saga” and even the 
“Harry Potter” films. It’s almost 
an ill-advised eulogy in that it 
represents many of the tropes 

and storytelling techniques that 
those familiar with the genre 
have come to know like the back 
of their hand.
The script manages to skip the 
outright lying to the audience 
that bogged down the second 
chapter in the trilogy, “The 
Scorch Trials” — a film that tried 

so hard to escape its genre that 
it wound up epitomizing many 
of its worst aspects — but there’s 
still a depressing dearth of 
character development. Thomas, 
like most YA protagonists, is the 
most bland part of the movies 
he’s ostensibly the star of, with 
no traits besides “the good guy” 
and “handsome” to make him 
in any way memorable. Without 
good writing to form the basis, 
“The Death Cure” spends most 
of its runtime manufacturing 
plot contrivances to shuffle its 
characters around between set 
pieces, as they’re not three-
dimensional enough to make 
decisions that would affect the 
story in interesting ways.
However, 
actively 
fighting 
to help his movie rise above its 
script is director Wes Ball, who 
made his feature film debut with 
the original film and has almost 
singlehandedly made the series 
watchable. If there’s one thing 
to take away from “The Death 
Cure,” it’s that someone needs 

to give Ball a script worthy 
of his talents. The story he 
works with here may be total 
nonsense, but the action scenes 
he weaves in are some of the 
best the genre has ever seen. 
From the opening sequence, 
a thrilling train heist straight 
out of a “Mad Max”/“Fast and 
Furious” crossover, Ball handles 
the scope of the action with 
seeming ease, and by the nigh-
apocalyptic climax that recalls 
a far more interesting version of 
“Mockingjay – Part 2,” viewers 
may find it easy to simply let go 
and appreciate the insane scope 
of what he’s crafted.
He isn’t always successful, as 
“The Death Cure” still eventually 
succumbs 
to 
the 
bloated 
exposition and poor pacing that 
have defined much of his series. 
This final installment clocks in 
at almost two and a half hours 
long, which would be hard to sit 
through even if it was seemingly 
intentionally extended. Again, 
this has more to do with the 
script and the demands of the 
genre than anything else. By 
the time we’ve fallen back into 
the well-worn plot of another 
resistance group (of course) 
helping our heroes take the 
down the big bad corporation 
(of course) who has secretly 
been monitoring their entire 
lives (of course) for the greater 
good (of course) because they’re 
special (of course), there’s not 
much anyone could have done to 
save it. Whether it’s looked at as 
the finale of its series or the de 
facto endgame of its genre, “The 
Death Cure” can’t outrun its own 
formulaic writing.

‘Death Cure’ gives ‘Maze 
Runner’ a bloated ending

JEREMIAH VANDERHELM
Daily Arts Writer

STARZ

Culture II

Migos

Quality Contorl

FILM REVIEW

“The Death 
Cure”

Rave + Quality 16

20th Century Fox

ALBUM REVIEW

TV REVIEW

