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firstagent · 3 years

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Since it popped up on the Podcast, how would you rank the sibling dynamics from healthy to trainwreck?

This is an innocent-sounding question until you go over the franchise and realize just how many sibling relationships there are in Digimon and that all but like three of them have elements that might raise eyebrows. In the interest of being comprehensive, this includes all named characters in any anime, manga, and game I’m familiar with, treating the reboot separately and including Survive because... (looks at Kaito and Miu’s bios) ...holy crap.

Sibling Relationship Rankings! (Healthy is Higher)

Joe & Shin Kido (Adventure): Shin understands Joe’s hang-ups and offers support to make his own choices without steering him in any specific direction, for or against the family. And Shuu exists too (depending on the language you’re watching in)

Juri & Masahiko Kato (Tamers): For all of the awkwardness and potential points of fracture in the family, Juri and Masahiko are very close. Fun Fact: She started carrying around her iconic hand puppet to amuse and entertain him!

Keito & Nozomi Tamada (Re:Arise): Even with very different personalities, Keito and Nozomi have a lot of respect for each other. Unlike some big brothers, he comes to a mature conclusion when he realizes she’ll be just fine with Pumpmon at her side.

Yamato Ishida & Takeru Takaishi (Adventure 2020): Yamato’s worry over Takeru only affects his reluctance to take on time-consuming side quests when he might be in danger. Far more chill about trusting Takeru with the rest of the team, he’s a motivation rather than a mental handicap.

Masaru & Chika Daimon (Savers): Perhaps a more controversial pick for the healthier side, but Masaru and Chika have a playful relationship that proves that Chika dishes out as much as anyone in the family. Given how much harm DATS and Digimon have done to the family, Masaru risks her love to keep them away from her.

Joe & Shin Kido (Adventure 2020): Shin’s still supportive and still encourages Joe to make choices for himself, but having that bugout bag ready to go raises some serious questions about that family and which side Shin’s really on.

Ai & Makoto (Tamers): Toddlers fight. It’s okay. They come together for Impmon’s sake and the fact that they’re the only duo in the franchise with mutual custody over a digivice has to say something about the strength of their relationship.

Nene & Kotone Amano (Xros Wars Manga): Nene’s tactics are still desperate but not quite as extreme as the anime, and it counts for so much that Kotone fights so hard for Nene once the tables are turned. And good lord that backstory...

Takuya & Shinya Kanbara (Frontier): There’s definitely a sense of Takuya lapsing into thinking Shinya encapsulates everything frustrating about having an older brother, but he gets over it.

Miyako Inoue + Three (Zero Two): Perfectly normal large household. And while wondering what it would be like to be an only child is something every youngest does... top of mind fantasy, Miyako? Really?

Jianliang & Shaochung Lee (Tamers): Speaking of four-packs... there’s no doubting how much they care about each other, but Jian’s occasional short fuse with Shaochung betrays his usual calm demeanor, and we never get a picture of the full family dynamic once Rinchei and Jaarin are included.

Daisuke & Jun Motomiya (Zero Two): Everyone likes to paint Jun and Daisuke as something uglier than it really is. As much as they annoy each other, it’s still a pretty conventional sibling dynamic and they’d still fight hard for the other... even if the feeling’s closer to obligation.

Koji Minamoto & Koichi Kimura (Frontier): There’s no questioning the bond they develop, but there’s no way Koji and Koichi go from “don’t know the other exists” to “ZOMG Twinzies!” without a ton of awkwardness and feeling each other out. They’ll get better, but from our standpoint this is where we start to drift into trainwreck territory.

Tomoki & Yutaka Himi (Frontier): Tomoki can spin it all he wants but Yutaka comes off as a real jerk. Not that some resentment isn’t a little justified given how much Tomoki is coddled, but taking it upon himself to be the bearer of tough love is still not cool.

Taichi & Hikari Yagami (Adventure 2020): Hikari has a blind faith that Taichi can save the day in any circumstance, up to and including international shipping crisis. Meanwhile Taichi sees Hikari lapsing between typical friendly eight year old to brainwashed robot and doesn’t find any problem with it.

Yamato Ishida & Takeru Takaishi (Adventure): Lessons in how not to be an overprotective big brother. Yamato freaks out at the slightest notion that Takeru might be exposed to danger, including his very presence in the Digital World. When you have a complete nervous breakdown realizing that little bro’s actually pretty capable on his own, it’s not about your relationship with him anymore.

Touma & Relena Norstein (Savers): There’s caring about a little sister, making her plight a central cause in your life, and then involving her in a chess match with a madman. There’s a lot to forgive here (they are raised in a family where your kneejerk reaction to Grandma is “I bet she supported the Nazis in World War II”), but everything about their relationship just makes you uncomfortable.

Kaito & Miu Shinonome (Survive): Maybe it’s not fair since their game is the franchise’s unicorn, but their bios have warning flags all over it. He’s overprotective, ready to fight at the slightest hardship, and she repays this attitude by being rebellious and weird and eager to pursue trouble. May end up being worse once the game actually comes out.

Rei & Hajime Katsura (Appmon): Another one where their backstory makes you sympathize with the lengths they go to in order to stay together, but risking the security of actual guardians to go it alone? Jesus. Even with their ride or die attitude, you still sense a bit of friction in their relationship, and so many of their hardships are their own doing.

Nene & Yuu Amano (Xros Wars): There’s nothing seemingly wrong on the surface between Nene and Yuu, but that’s why their actions are so extreme. Yuu’s more than happy to treat her as an enemy general in his game, while Nene’s aligning herself with dark forces and causing real trouble to get him back. It’s all very loud and intense for a relationship that, without external influences, is just nice and cordial.

Yuuko & Yuugo Kamishiro (Cyber Sleuth): You can be anything you want on the internet! So why not take the identify of your big brother who was stricken with a mystery illness at a young age and lead a legion of hackers? And if you’re Yuugo, use your digital body to take control of that avatar! Nothing weird about any of this!

Ken & Osamu Ichijouji (Zero Two): Like Tomoki, Ken can come up with whatever rationale for Osamu’s abuse he wants, and Osamu at least had some kind moments, but there’s no denying that this family was a mess. And of course Ken’s reaction to Osamu’s death... could have been better.

Taichi & Hikari Yagami (Adventure): Hikari’s introduction to the series was intended to be a little creepy, and that just sets the tone. Her blind loyalty to Taichi is a primary point of emphasis through three series, and Taichi sometimes goes ballistic worrying about her... when not accidentally endangering her life. And that’s before she unleashes a world-destroying abomination at the mere suggestion that Taichi’s dead, and why telling him “what you’re doing is wrong and I kind of hate you for it” is a big moment for her, even though she’s wrong.

Neo & Rei Saiba (V-Tamer): There’s going a little overboard to keep your family together or save a sibling’s life, and then there’s aligning yourself with evil forces to avoid having to deal with your sister’s manageable disability. Call it being jaded or delusional, but when it drives your sister to attempt suicide there are definitely issues you two need to work through.

Erika & Ryuji Mishima (Cyber Sleuth Hackers Memory): Because aligning oneself with Arkadimon is always a fantastic idea. He’s overprotective, she manipulates him because of it, there’s resentment, there’s anger, and basically the entire game is spent watching these two outdo each other in terms of causing wanton destruction throughout the city and cyberspace.

Honorable Mention: Bagramon & DarkKnightmon (Xros Wars): The battle of who can stab the other in the back last.

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#digimon #digiarticle

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theolddarkmachine · 3 years

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Imaginary - Chapter Seventeen

Midoriya Izuku’s life was turned upside by fate.

Eri’s life was turned upside down by circumstance.

And Bakugou Katsuki is about to learn that even imaginary friends need to grow up.

Chapter 17 of 19

Also on AO3

A/N: It’s another kinda shorter one but FAO;IJSELDFJ DOST MINE EYES SPOT THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL? After this, only one chapter and an epilogue left! also, fun fact, tsuru was my grandma’s maiden name!

***********************

The sun is bright and warm, heating Katsuki’s skin as he lets his feet carry him along the sidewalk. He’s distantly aware of the continuous chatter beside him as his latest assignment goes over the tactics of their most recent game of capture the flag with the other neighborhood kids at the park.

Tsuru Yuji, age 6.

Target of schoolyard bullies.

Colorful personality trapped behind a stoic, quiet demeanor.

In the beginning, Katsuki had thought that he’d be a bit of a tougher case, one that would keep his mind from tracking back to the house just two streets over with the girl with the happy smile, and the man with the all too bright eyes.

But things never went the way he wanted them to, apparently, since it had only taken a matter of days to break Yuji from his shell, and just a couple of weeks for the change to completely turn his school life around. Now Yuji had friends, and the inability to stop talking.

“Mr. Bakugou?” His name shattered his reverie, pulling his attention down to the kid at his side. The sunlight glinted off of Yuji’s too big glasses, blinding him momentarily.

“How many times do I have to tell you to drop the ‘mister,’ kid?” Katsuki gruffs without any heat as he returns his gaze back to the pavement stretched before them.

Yuji’s reply comes in the form of a high pitched giggle before he continues on about how next time, they should make the top of the slide their home base.

“Then, we could just slide down if we need to get away fast!” He exclaims, hands shooting upward as if the revelation is groundbreaking. And maybe it is.

Who was Katsuki to say for sure?

“You’re too damn smart, kid,” he replies with a halfhearted laugh of his own as he keeps his eyes trained forward.

The first time they’d taken this route back to Yuji’s house, he had told himself it was a mere accident. His feet had grown so used to this street that they’d automatically made their way here before he could even acknowledge the direction they had gone.

Not that it had mattered, as he had told himself, as he’d stolen a quick glance at the Midoriya household just days after he’d left it for the final time. While a bit out of the way, this path still technically did lead to Yuji’s house.

The second time they’d taken it, Katsuki had told himself a bit more walking was good for them both. Nothing wrong with a bit more exercise and all that.

Now, a month later, he had run out of excuses to tell himself.

It had broken just about every big rule in the imaginary friend handbook, but he couldn’t stop himself from trying to catch just one more glimpse of the pair that had worked their way so far under his skin.

When he had left the Midoriya household for the final time, he had left a bit of himself behind. The gaping open maw of his chest had been exposed and raw, leaving him filled with a painful ache unlike anything he had ever felt. Katuski had felt loss in the past, but this had been wholly different, and in those first few days, he had wondered if he might never be whole again.

It was a dramatic thought, of course. One he had to swallow down like a bitter pill as he’d taken on his next assignment.

The ache remained, it had just numbed enough for him to be able to finally breathe again.

But that didn’t stop him from walking by their home whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Just to be sure things were still okay.

At least, that’s what he told himself.

Gaze still ahead, and Yuji’s droning voice filling his ear, Katsuki feels his heart stutter at the sight of movement in the Midoriya’s yard.

The honey colored sunlight twists in Eri’s hair, making it shine bright as she cheers happily at something Izuku says. She looks absolutely elated as she crawls her way up into the car and waits for her dad to get her buckled in. When Izuku closes the door, and turns to walk around the back, Katsuki can see the wide smile that’s still stretched across his lips.

They look so happy, he thinks, and something about that knowledge fills his lungs with acid.

Katsuki watches as Izuku makes his way around the vehicle, his wide frame pausing at the driver’s side as he looked out toward the street.

For just one fleeting moment, Katsuki feels his breath stall in his chest as that familiar green stare passes over him. It’s gone almost as quickly as it has come, but it still leaves his heart racing as he watches Izuku climb into the car.

“Mr. Bakugou!” Yuji’s voice is indignant as he calls his attention back to him. Snapping his gaze away from the car as it backs out of the driveway, Katsuki hums.

“Yeah, yeah, kid,” he says, trying to ignore the strain that leaves him sounding breathless. “I’m listening.”

***

Katsuki was fucking angry.

And tired.

So goddamn tired.

Tired of the pitying looks his friends shot him when they thought he wasn’t looking. Tired of feeling like hole had been punched through his fucking chest. Tired of the emerald colored dreams that haunted him.

And especially tired of being summoned to the fucking Administrator’s office.

He’d woken that morning to the text that had the audacity to proclaim a meeting time for just an hour from then, and he already knew what it meant. Time to move on. Because it was always fucking time to move on.

Katuski would never be able to stay in one place for long, never allowed to be something permanent.

And that pissed him off.

His angry steps punctuated the otherwise quiet of the lobby, making the poor sap manning the front desk jump as they looked up from their coffee towards him.

“Mr. Bak—” they start to say, eyes going wide as he growls.

“Don’t call me that,” Katsuki hisses before he throws open the doors. The loud crack of the wood against the walls cut through the air in a dramatic way that would normally fill him with some sort of thrill. Now, it just settles somewhere in the vast expanse that sits at the center of his chest, lost to the empty feeling that’s slowly expanding.

“Lively as ever this morning, young Bakugou,” the Administrator says, not bothering to look up from the folder he’s holding open before him.

The sight of the unassuming tan of the file only serves to push the burning fury through him faster as he lets the doors fall shut behind him with another loud crash. It feels as if the air in the room is sucked out by the bone shaking sound as Katsuki fixes his fiery stare on Toshinori.

“Cut to the chase, old man,” he snarls, mouth twisting into a sneer that’s full of teeth and sharp rage.

A soft sigh brushes through the space as he watches the Administrator close the folder before gently pushing it toward the edge of the desk.

“Please take a seat,” Toshinori offers, keeping his attention forward.

“I’d rather just get this over with,” Katsuki bites out in return.

There’s another weighted pause before Toshinori sits back, his gaze finally finding Katsuki’s as it flashes with the steely silence of a command. For all the kindness and fun loving nature that encapsulated the Administrator, he had almost forgotten that he was the leader of the Imaginary Friends fo a reason.

Swallowing the sharp taste of his pride, Katsuki walks to the bean bag chair, falling into it with a muted thud.

“Talk,” Katsuki snaps, whittling the single word down to a barely there syllable as he keeps his gaze trained on Toshinori’s. His stubborn defiance is the only reason he catches the shift in the Administrator’s stare as it sweeps over him. Softening into something fond, and almost sad, it cools the inferno tearing through his veins, if only for just a moment.

“Have I ever told you about my predecessor?” He asks, solemn and far off, as if lost to the track of time.

“You brought me here for a fucking history lesson?” Katsuki growls, hands curling into tight fists where they sit on his knees. Toshinori’s eyebrow raises in silent admonishment. It forces a low string of grumbles from his mouth as he folds his arms across his chest and slips lower into the bean bag.

“His name was Banjo Daigoro, and he was a great Administrator,” he sighs at the memory. “But I was never his first choice for successor.”

A spark of interest lights the cavern of his insides as he cocks his head to the side.

“Originally, he had chosen one of my closest friends,” the Administrator continues before taking a steadying breath.

“Shimura Nana.”

The name rocks through Katsuki, sending a chill rocketing down his spine as his mind spins around the words that had encapsulate Shimura Nana’s terminated friendship.

“She was in training to take over the position, but was still going out into the field. Loved working with kids, you know?” He says, a small chuckle weaving between his words as his gaze goes distant at the memory.

“Banjo had assigned her a final case before she was going to be officially promoted. But then, she was seen.”

Shimura Nana reports child caretaker made verbal acknowledgement of her presence.

Katsuki remembered. She had only been with her charge for a week before it had happened.

And then—

Friendship terminated.

“Torino Sorahiko,” Toshinori rattles off, voice void of inflection as he recites what was written in the file word for word, as if it laid there before him.

“Lost both his parents. Was showing aggression towards his uncle, who had taken him in. He was a good kid, Nana was adamant about that. Then one day, his uncle saw her, and spoke to her.”

The blue of his eyes goes perfectly clear, settling into a cutting blue as his gaze returns to the present. Finding Katsuki once more, they whittle away at him until he’s flayed open, raw and exposed beneath the Administrator’s stare.

The feeling of being seen clings to him like a premonition. It’s equal parts awe and terror as it works its way through him.

Swallowing thickly, Katsuki speaks.

“What happened?”

But he knows. Has known for far too long.

Friendship terminated.

“We aren’t exactly supposed to be seen by anyone other than our charge, especially not by their parents or caretakers, as you know,” Toshinori says, pausing long enough to arch a brow at him before continuing.

“And Nana knew that too. Probably better than most, given the position she was going to take.”

He pauses again as his lips quirk sharply upward with bygone amusement and his voice falls into a hush, carried by the weight of his memory’s past.

“Funny thing is, that didn’t change anything. Even knowing hadn’t been enough.”

Katsuki’s breath catches deep in his throat and threatening to choke him as Toshinori speaks.

“Officially, they terminated the friendship. If you found Torino’s file right now, it would say as much. But Nana had returned after that, and they could still see her.”

Silence settles between them as Katsuki notices the way Toshinori’s eyes shine wetly.

“So, she made a choice,” he finally concludes with a shrug, as if what he had just said was nothing. As if he had just been talking about the weather. Katsuki might have even found it funny, how mundane he had made it, if it wasn’t for the fact that every single one of the Administrator’s words had been shrapnel that had torn him apart.

“What did she choose?” He hears himself ask, voice twisted into something even he doesn’t recognize. It hurts, the way it scrapes itself through his throat, and he could swear he tastes blood at the back of his tongue.

And yet for all the ways Katsuki ached, Toshinori just looks him over before fixing him with an all knowing smile.

Slowly, he reaches across the desk and pushes the folder closer towards him.

“It’s time to move on, young Bakugou,” he says by way of answer. The statement rings with a finality, one that doesn’t allow for argument or further discussion.

Sighing loudly, Katsuki grabs the folder, defeat hanging heavy across his shoulders in a way that makes him think he might find himself crushed into the ground with it.

Maybe that would be better, anyway, he thinks as he flips it open. With his eyes fixed down at the file, Katsuki feels his heart rate spike as it ratchets inside the cage of his chest.

“What is this?” He asks, not looking up. His pulse is deafening as it beats its soaring rhythm in his ears as his eyes trace back and forth across the folder, as if he’s missing something.

Except he knows he isn’t.

What could he possibly miss when the file itself is empty?

Katsuki’s tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth as he finally shifts his attention upward. His confusion is met with another smile.

“Even imaginary friends need to grow up,” the Administrator says. The words circle around him, overlaid with the memory from months ago, when he’d been in this same spot, only the folder before him then had held information about a little girl and her dad.

Then, he hadn’t known his life was about to change.

Now, he feels the sudden click of a realization deep in his chest as his gaze falls back down on the empty folder in his lap.

A rush works through him, filling the chasm at the center of his chest as his lips slowly turn up into a smile.

************************

#bakudeku #bkdk #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #this one is a bit dialogue heavy buuuuut it is what it is lol #WE ALMOST TO THE FINISH LINE BOOOOIS

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blackjack-15 · 4 years

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Whale Be Clamming for Clues — Thoughts on: Danger on Deception Island (DDI)

Previous Metas: SCK/SCK2, STFD, MHM, TRT, FIN, SSH, DOG, CAR

Hello and welcome to a Nancy Drew meta series! 30 metas, 30 Nancy Drew Games that I’m comfortable with doing meta about. Hot takes, cold takes, and just Takes will abound, but one thing’s for sure: they’ll all be longer than I mean them to be.

Each meta will have different distinct sections: an Introduction, an exploration of the Title, an explanation of the Mystery, a run-through of the Suspects. Then, I’ll tackle some of my favorite and least favorite things about the game, and finish it off with ideas on how to improve it.

If any game requires an extra section or two, they’ll be listed in the paragraph above, along with links to previous metas.

These metas are not spoiler free, though I’ll list any games/media that they might spoil here: DDI.

The Intro:

First off, let me apologize for the title of this meta. Much like Bess, I couldn’t resist the pun.

Second off, let me just say that DDI is a game that deserves its status as an Iconic Nancy Drew game. If you don’t have access to MHM, TRT, or SSH, DDI is probably the next best place to start the series (while CAR is a great game and should definitely be played, it’s less good as an introduction to the series).

DDI’s got Bess and George, the Hardy Boys, quirky phone characters, incredible atmosphere, fun puzzles, a few suspects, and herrings (red or otherwise) galore. DDI looked at every Nancy Drew game at that point and decided to play the formula straight while doing it nigh-perfectly, and it’s a joy to play.

Its soundtrack should also be of special note; it’s immediately identifiable as being from the Pacific Northwest (the land where HER hails from) and it helps build the incredible atmosphere while still feeling a bit friendly and welcoming as only sea shanty-inspired music can. Special props should go to the music that plays when Nancy encounters Hilda for being particularly touching.

The only real place that DDI falls off a bit is with a couple of its characters — most specifically Katie and Andy. Sure, those are the two you’re supposed to suspect the most, and so they’re a little less fleshed out so HER didn’t give anything away, but there’s not really much to like about either one of them. Holt and Jenna are less divisive and can be a breath of fresh air when the player has dealt too long with the Twin Whale Watching Terrors, but there’s not too much to like there either other than being better than the other two.

It’s one thing to have a cast that is made up of suspicious or even brusque suspects, but it’s quite another to have a cast made up of mostly unpleasant people who hate the others. Normally there’s at least one character that Nancy can touch base with, but outside of her phone contacts, there’s no safe haven in Snake Horse Harbor.

There is one person who does make the game friendly, mysterious, and a little bit wistful, but we’ll talk about her more in the Suspect section.

Ultimately, Danger on Deception Island is really a game to more be experienced than it is to be spoken about (Hilda notwithstanding, who is excellent to talk about) as its simplicity and logic is undermined by the lack of need to explain it. For a game with superlative atmosphere, beautiful music, appropriate and good puzzles, and possibly the best one-off phone contact of all time, DDI is an appropriate, if not flawless, ninth entry into the Nancy Drew games series and a game that demands to be played on those misty, foggy, slightly mysterious days.

The Title:

Let’s be real here, “Danger on Deception Island” is a fantastic title. It’s moody, sounds exciting, definitely establishes a sense of mystery, gives us our location, and is vague enough to be enticing to the imagination while not so vague as to frustrate the player.

It’s also pretty literal; there is danger, and the island is called Deception Island (though, knowing that’s a bit of a hokey name, they do refer to Nancy’s location mostly as “Snake Horse Harbor”, after the Nessie knock-off that’s said to haunt the waters near the harbor). It’s kind of a classic pulp-type title for a mystery, and it fits the sense of heavy atmosphere and nasty suspects that DDI features.

It’s effective enough that there’s not much more to say here, so let’s move on to the reason behind the Danger on Deception island.

The Mystery:

While Nancy’s called out to go on a whale watching tour with Katie, a friend of George’s (though how she and George are friends, we have no idea), she encounters a case of sabotage almost immediately, and gets to work ferreting out justice — though she does get a tour with Andy, Katie’s rival.

Nancy is then set to explore Snake Horse Harbor on bike (helmet on, please, as they somehow magically deter crashes) and meet the locals, dig for clams, discover the difference between male and female crabs (the difference being about 150$ and a jail sentence), explore an old lighthouse, talk with a librarian about hard wood, and enjoy a great soundtrack perfectly encapsulating the Pacific Northwest.

The Suspects:

Katie Firestone is George’s friend and the first person Nancy meets upon her arrival to Deception Island. She’s also the victim of some sabotage and threatening notes, as Nancy discovers when she arrives, per her unpopular stance to take the orphaned orca and bring it to an aquarium where it can be cured of the illness that Katie theorizes that it has and can be studied further.

Per her job as a marine biologist, Katie is the only one with a permit that allows her to get up close and personal with the orphaned orca for whale watching tours, which makes her (very understandably) unpopular among the residents of Snake Horse Harbor. She’s also not the friendliest of people, which leads her to be even more unpopular.

As a suspect, Katie is sort of a mixed bag. The game plays her up just enough to keep her a suspect without playing her up so much that it’s obvious that she’s not. She never acts as Nancy’s “detective buddy”, but isn’t opposed to helping her – or keeping her busy. All in all, Katie has both the makings of the obvious victim and possibly as a clever suspect using their unpopularity to throw people off the scent.

DDI also throws in the fun little twist of pretending to reveal Katie as the villain before Nancy spins the chair around to reveal that she’s been tied up and duct taped by the real villain. It’s a pretty good “gotcha” moment and definitely fooled me the first time I played it (though I was quite young at the time, it should be noted).

Jenna Deblin is the owner of the Hot Kettle Café where economics don’t matter and Nancy can eat as many bowls of clam chowder as she wants for free. Friendly, chatty, and a bit of a gossip, Jenna fills Nancy in on the happenings in town — and on how much she dislikes Katie. A staunch conservationist, Jenna believes that the orca should be returned to its pod as soon as possible, and heavily disagrees with Katie’s aquarium plan.

She’s the kindest out of all of Nancy’s suspects and is cleared the earliest when her Café gets robbed and she and Nancy discover the tunnels under the Café used for shanghaiing sailors in the past. Jenna also would bring Hilda groceries when everyone else avoided or distrusted her, putting her firmly in the “good” category of suspects.

As a suspect, Jenna’s made to be the one that Nancy (and the player) can feel the most on the level with. Even with the underground tunnels, there’s really nothing frightening about either Jenna or the Hot Kettle Café, and the puzzles and information that they supply are fun and a little whimsical. The only thing suspicious about Jenna at all is her hatred of Katie, but having dealt with Katie for a good portion of the game, the player really shouldn’t consider that unusual or grounds for sabotage.

As a side note, Jenna is the first Native American character in the HER interactive series, a fact not hidden in the game, but also outright confirmed by HER themselves. While she’ll be joined in this later by SHA’s Mary and TOT’s Debbie, it’s a good thing to, in a setting so defined by its Native population, include a character of Native origin.

Holt Scotto is the rough ‘n’ gruff mayoral candidate for the next election in Snake Horse Harbor and owner of a pointlessly suspicious bag. As a veteran fisherman, he hates that the orca is disrupting the economy (as fishing is ubiquitously the number one vocation on islands like Deception Island) and making it more difficult for fishers to work.

While he seems to be friendly with Jenna (and at least on good terms with Hilda), Holt doesn’t much care for tourists like Nancy and makes her work for each and every bit of information that he has. Holt is the second most friendly person on the island (once again, discounting phone characters) in that he really doesn’t care what Nancy does so long as she doesn’t disturb Deception Island’s ecosystem and fills out the little survey he gives her.

Holt is a caricature in nearly every way that HER could make a caricature, but he’s still enjoyable and gives a few fun puzzles. He’s mostly there to round out the cast, but his voice acting is decent and his visual character design is absolutely spot on.

Andy Jason (whose voice is none other than now-regular HER voice actor and my personal hero Jonah Von Spreecken) is the friendly neighborhood rival whale-watching guide, but without Katie’s cozy little permit that lets her exploit the whale for money under the guise of Academia. While kind of friendly, he’s pretty ruthless in his business dealings, and owns the world’s worst plaid shirt.

As DDI’s resident villain, Andy makes the best suspect. He fails at being friendly or charming, but is barely a blip on Nancy’s radar through the first half of the game…apart from one horrible misstep on the part of HER, where his business card is found on Katie’s boat.

Because he and Katie are rivals (and because Katie’s generally hated), there’s no reason for his card to be on his boat, and it’s obvious that he’s the one who sabotaged Katie’s boat. Since Nancy Drew generally doesn’t have two main villains, the person who sabotaged her boat must be the villain, and thus Andy must be the villain.

There’s a nice little moment where Nancy sees Katie sitting in a chair, her back to Nancy, down in the Big Bad’s lair, that implies that Katie’s the one behind it. Of course, when the chair spins around, Katie’s duct taped and captive in the chair. That moment of doubt is effective, but it’s a good thing that HER resolves it within seconds, because it wouldn’t hold up any longer than that.

Andy is a little bit threatening in his last attempt to prevent Nancy from exposing him to the world — though the way Nancy takes him down is hilariously roundabout; one would think an air tank to the head via Nancy would be more effective than an air tank to the head via orca would be — but as a slightly weak character, his ending is a bit more of the same.

Hilda Swenson, like Miles in CAR, isn’t really a suspect, but does have to be included here for her sheer impact on (and subsequent elevation of) the game. An ex-movie director turned ex-mayor, Hilda’s a bit of an eccentric who lost her husband a few years ago and moved off the island, but still influences both the island and the events of the game.

Deciding that things are Not Going Well and that suspicious Things Are Happening, Hilda sets up a seek-and-find for someone smart, resourceful, tenacious, and curious — aka, Nancy — to find and contact her so that they can save the island together.

Hilda is definitely a little odd (though not really by Nancy Drew character standards), but what makes her really magical is that she really doesn’t care what others think of her and lives the way she thinks is best, cackling along as she sprinkles her good deeds along the shore.

She’s an oddity among Nancy Drew characters in that her presence is so strong without ever seeing any bit of her. She’s not out for or against Nancy, she’s just out to make sure her Harbor is saved, and her world goes on before and after Nancy. She really makes Snake Horse Harbor feel like it’s not just there for Nancy to solve a mystery in it, and that feeling is part of what makes DDI remarkable.

The Favorite:

Even with the Hardy Boys present and attentive, the best character of this game is Hilda, no contest. I’ve said all I can about her, so we’ll move on…mostly.

Embarrassingly after that paragraph, my favorite moment of the game is a Hilda moment — or rather, a moment right after a Hilda moment. Hilda sends Nancy out on a kayak for her clues, speaking to her for the last time. She hangs up after wishing Nancy good luck, and for just a few beats, the moment hangs in the air. It’s misty out in the ocean and Nancy’s alone, holding the weight of saving the harbor and exposing wrongs and ensuring the right thing happens for the orphaned orca

My favorite puzzle is prolly collecting all of the things Hilda left behind and assembling them. It’s a fun little series of fetch quests, culminating in a great moment out on the water, and they’re just really enjoyable as they help build the world.

The Un-Favorite:

I’ve discussed Katie and Andy earlier, but they definitely deserve a place in this section, as their presence does drag down the game just a bit from where it could have been.

My least favorite moment in the game is probably the part where Holt catches Nancy outside the lighthouse, purely because it makes me jump every time. DDI really doesn’t have any sour note moments, so this qualifies because I give a little shrill scream whenever it happens.

My least favorite puzzle is definitely the male vs female crab dilemma. These metas have talked before about my visual processing not being the greatest, so that’s probably the reason, but even when I have a picture of both of them side-by-side, I always end up guessing wrong and getting Thrown in the Brig. It is a mark of how well-integrated the puzzles are that none of them feel really clunky or like a pain.

The Fix:

So how would I fix Danger on Deception Island?

I’d really only do it by refurbing Katie and Andy a bit so that they’re not so……well, blatantly horrible and flat people. There’s always room in detective stories for nasty characters, but not ones so flat as those two. Give them relationships with everyone in Snake Horse Harbor — Andy especially, since he’s been there longer than Katie — and you’d be well on your way towards fixing the problem.

Maybe Holt knew Andy’s dad, who was an old friend of his who disagreed on everything with him but they were drinking buddies, so he watches out for Andy. Meanwhile, Jenna doesn’t much care for Andy, but they both hate Katie, so they band together out of pure spite and teeth-clenched teamwork. But, in a twist, Andy does have a bit of sympathy for Katie as a newcomer because years ago his dad had an apprentice of sorts who came to the island but was bullied into leaving.

Maybe Katie, meanwhile, disagrees heavily with Jenna but is so addicted to her chowder that she goes when Jenna has someone else (her Aunt Iris, perhaps?) covering the shop, only to develop a crush on the temp, so she subtly sabotages Jenna so that she has to leave the Café more and more often, which makes Jenna angrier. Let’s say Holt doesn’t mind Katie being a newcomer, but hates the temp Jenna gets to cover the Café, and knows Katie’s behind it but can’t prove it. Maybe even make it so Katie does feel guilty about using her permit to make money off the orca…but not guilty enough to stop doing it.

Just those simple tweaks going on in the background, referenced a few times, give the characters even more of a sense of existing out of just the game and helps balance them out against characters like Hilda who are more developed with severely less screen time.

Relationships are the quickest way to build characters, and while DDI has an incredible amount of atmosphere, fleshing out its two most suspicious characters would go a long way to perfecting this already awesome game.

#nancy drew #clue crew #nancy drew games #danger on deception island #nancy drew meta #DDI #video games #my meta

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crystalrequiem · 5 years

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The Voice that Urged Orpheus

[Part 3/6(?)] [TRC] Summary: Kurogane learns more about a mysterious new world and accidentally seals his own doomed fate. Tags: Kuro/Fai, Canon Universe, Post-Canon, Warnings: suggestive thoughts and implications (nothing graphic), People assuming married status, GOD, so much fluff, Is it still slow-burn if they’re already in a relationship? because that’s basically what this is. [Part 1] [Part 2]... [Part 4]

Honestly this section probably should have just been included with the one previous. Not as happy with it because it feels less... cohesive? directed? meh. Nevertheless I feel like it’s necessary to set up some of the world-building so I can get to the good points later. Hope you still enjoy! I really look forward to reading your comments and tags. They seriously keep me going!

The shopkeep, it turns out, does look a little familiar. She has dark-skin and a well-toned frame, pretty face framed by a shower of pink, fluffy hair. He doesn’t think any version of her has ever been a particularly close friend, but something about her rings a bell anyway.

“Hello, hello! Your young friend here was just telling me you wa—wow.” She seems perfectly amiable but the moment Fai steps fully into view, her whole expression shifts. Her jaw drops, and the wide eyes she graces them with matches the expressions they’ve been earning outside. “Oh-ho-kay, Hi! I’m so sorry; I didn’t think anyone from the academy would stop by, uh. How—how can I help you?”

Kurogane and Fai search each other out long enough to share a moment of confusion.

“Academy?” the mage echoes. However badly Kurogane’s attempt at reassurance rattled him before, he displays no indication now. Given his ability to bury his feelings beneath exhausting layers of façade, this comes as no surprise.

“Yes? I mean—I just assumed… what with your magic the way it is—” She glances from Fai to Kurogane and back, shock and bewilderment only incrementing. “Do you—are you two sharing the same magic?”

Alright, so they’ve at least found a reason for the staring. Apparently the people of this world can commonly sense magic, and they find something strange. Something about himself and Fai, in particular. Kurogane breathes a little easier given an idea of what makes them stand out. He just wishes he had any hope of keeping up with the why. Magic focused-worlds make his head spin.

At least for right now, Fai seems equally clueless.

“No, I don’t think we are,” he answers, bemused.

“Wow. Hunh.” Her eyes catch on something they can’t see, staring into the empty air between them.

“Actually, Miss Caldina,” Syaoran leaps to the rescue in the awkward silence that follows. “When I said we were travelers from far away, I meant… We’re from very far. We don’t really know anything about this place. Is there any way you could explain a few things about the area?”

The woman, apparently named Caldina, breaks herself from her trance. She pats her face with both hands hard enough to produce a resounding slap. “Sorry! That was rude of me. Let’s start over. Hello, Welcome to the Enchantress. Why don’t you nice folks ask me your questions and I’ll see what I can do?”

A world where everyone can see and use magic.

Kurogane doesn’t get most of what Caldina says, nor does he really understand what Fai and Syaoran ask in return, but he understands that much. People here… see magic. How much potential people have, the spells they cast, the lingering enchantments in his arm, and now his cloak.

According to the shopkeep, Syaoran’s magic stands out on its own—a prodigy, for certain. That alone might distract the townsfolk, but… Fai brings it to a whole other level.

Apparently Fai’s magic is dazzling. He stands visibly above the rest. Caldina had taken a single look and assumed he must belong to the city’s prestigious Academy, where this world’s best casters gather to learn and teach, developing the field of magic further. Then she’d spotted Kurogane and nearly had a heart attack.

“It’s like looking at a flame about to go out—for I second I thought you were dead! No offense!” He doesn’t know how the comparison to a corpse should not offend him, but in the context of magic he supposes he doesn’t mind. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone live with as little magic. I thought your husband must have been pulling from you or masking you or something.”

Chaos reigns as soon as she completes the sentence. Mokona bursts into a flurry of giggles, rolling across Syaoran’s shoulders. The Kid stares at his fellow travelers like a deer caught in lamplight, and Kurogane… looks to Fai.

The mage doesn’t react to Caldina’s mistaken assumption save for the extra-bright flush rising to his cheeks, visible even despite the sunburn.

“Well,” he murmurs, lips quirked in a teasing half-smile, “You’d be surprised how little magic people really need to live.” He doesn’t contradict her. He wants to tease—to fall back into their game of overreaction and meaningless words. Fai meets Kurogane’s eye like he’s issuing a challenge—just waiting for the embarrassment to overwhelm the surly ninja and push him to set the record straight.

He doesn’t.

Once upon a time he would have died of mortification and flown right off the handle to hear someone call Fai his husband. But right now… well it’s kind of his goal, isn’t it? It only annoys him that apparently people other than Fai don’t need his intentions spelled out for them.

Eventually, his family realizes he doesn’t plan to say a word. Mokona’s celebration falls to a hush and Syaoran clearly has no idea what to do. Fai’s expression remains implacable, save for the distinctive blush still written on his face.

“Sorry, did I say something wrong?” Caldina drawls.

“Not really! It’s just that those two aren’t married..?” Syaoran takes pity on them all and lets her know, though the fact that he phrases it as a question doesn’t skip Kurogane’s notice.

The poor shopkeeper visibly takes a moment to process this information, flabbergasted. She stares again at whatever it is she can trace between himself and Fai, and shakes her head. “Why not?” her expression reads quite clearly. And boy, does Kurogane not have an answer to that.

“I’m doing a great job of putting my foot in my mouth today.”

“It’s fine! Sometimes Mokona forgets they aren’t really married too.” The manjuu chimes amidst nervous laughter.

Kurogane huffs and turns away, tuning out the cheerful banter that follows. Maybe this is part of his problem. After everything, he feels so close to Fai that even marriage can’t quite encapsulate what they already are to each other. In the end, the extra title of “husbands” won’t change them. It won’t make Fai more or less than he is, or guarantee a forever, or do anything other than put a layer of formality over what they already have.

Still… there’s something about that formalization that he wants. A definite moment in time he can point to as a promise made, a good memory he can give to Fai who has so many to outweigh it, a declaration of intent that the world can’t ignore… He wants to ask for that.

Maybe he’s just a sentimental fool.

He emerges from his thoughts, watching as the shopkeeper purchases a few of their curios for what seems like a decent sum of currency. They exit the shop with a little more confidence and directions to the famed Academy of Chizeta.

“Shall we?” Fai charms, gesturing theatrically towards the direction of the supposed academy. His early sunburn has settled on a pink that gives him a permanent look of over-heated exertion.

Kurogane squints in the too-bright sunlight, but only Fai truly blinds him. The jerk has no business being so damn attractive. Especially not when he’s going to permanently damage his skin at this rate, walking around with his hood down. The urge to thread his fingers through sweat-dampened gold and kiss that stupid grin off his face strikes Kurogane with all the force of a hurricane. He reaches out before he can stop himself and only manages to switch tacks at the last second, tugging Fai’s hood up far enough to cover his eyes.

“You’re gonna burn, dumbass.”

The line of Fai’s mouth tilts from shocked to pleased in moments, and the mage laughs, reaching up to adjust his cloak enough to see. Shit, Kurogane feels weak to that sound every time—unguarded and honest.

“Looking out for me?” Fai teases.

“Always.”

The word escapes him before he can think twice, but he can’t regret it. At least it forms some part of the mess he so badly wants to communicate. This time, Fai takes his desperate sentimentality a little better. He shakes his head, frustration and affection swimming in a churning cocktail of emotion behind his too-blue gaze.

“You’re hopeless.” He touches Kurogane’s shoulder as he sighs the words, sending a renewed burst of magic into the fabric that cuts right through the re-building heat.

“Can we really be sure they aren’t married though?” Mokona’s voice shatters the moment, and Fai and Kurogane both startle badly. He lunges for the damn pork bun, ready to pound it into mochi, before he thinks better of it and remembers that the world outside his Mage exists. They’ve already begun to draw stares again. Maybe Fai’s use of magic just now looked particularly interesting? He doesn’t know.

They start their sojourn toward the school in good spirits, even despite the heat and the persistent attention. He finds himself far less paranoid, even if so many eyes still make him feel like he doesn’t quite fit in his own skin. Syaoran and Fai take the lead, talking softly about cooling charms and how they work. Eventually, Mokona catches on that his cloak has already been ensorcelled and burrows into his hood without his permission. Annoying, but… well he can’t blame the manjuu for seeking out a little relief. It is hot. Part of him wonders why Fai hasn’t copied the spell on his own clothes or Syaoran’s, whether the spell might have taken more work than he thought, and whether he should pass the chilled cloak around in turns… He’ll suggest it when they stop next.

Either way, the enchantment does its work well. The ache of his shoulder nearly disappears as magic wicks the heat away. Less distracted by pain, he has a far easier time monitoring the stares they gather. He can track the eyes of others lining the crowded city streets as they trace lines of invisible magic. A few people glance his way in confusion, but for the most part, Fai and Syaoran draw a majority of the attention.

He thinks of Caldina, pleased and impressed just by the sight of them, able to gauge magic power with a glance, and something like pride struggles to escape him. It buoys upwards, a nervous bubble caught in his chest. So maybe he feels like the kid and mage deserve a little recognition… surely there’s nothing strange about that.

He can’t help wondering what they must look like.

“Everyone is so interested in Fai! Seeing magic must be very exciting. Mokona wants to see too.” The pork bun mirrors his thoughts and sours his mood, speaking in that tinny voice far too close to his ear. He’s not prepared to hear the mage answer,

“Oh, it’s not so exciting really….” Fai’s gaze drifts somewhere distant as he trails off. Sadness seeps through the cracks in his mask—hard to see, but Kurogane can find it in the way he holds himself. Old, and tired. Burdened by some bad memory. The kids don’t notice.

“Does that mean you can see magic too, Fai?” Syaoran voices the thought aloud, quiet enough to escape the hearing of any onlookers, and the mage’s smile sharpens. He focuses on the boy and that heart-twisting sorrow bleeds away.

“Not naturally, like people in this world can, but there’s an old spell for it from… well.” He waves a hand, as if to knock the words from the air. Kurogane knows somehow with a distant pang that he would have said “Valeria.” “I can show you later if you really want, but I promise it’s not as exciting as it sounds.”

The kids both chorus out a “Mokona does really want,” and “Yes, Please!” to the surprise of no one. Fai must have expected the children to say as much; he doesn’t so much as blink when he hears them. No. Only Kurogane’s quiet, “Sure,” shocks Fai enough to forget his words and halt him mid-step.

His cheeks burn with the weight of a different sort of stare and Kurogane looks to see his family gaping.

“What,” he grouches, and Fai rewards him with another honest laugh.

“Nothing at all, Kuro-sama.” He turns back to the path and keeps walking, careful to make sure Syaoran keeps up. “The spell has to be cast by the viewer to work. I meant to teach Syaoran, but… well…” He glances over his shoulder at both Kurogane and Mokona, smiles that slow, easy smile Kurogane loves so much. “I guess I’ll see what I can do.”

Kurogane manages to choke out a gruff, “thanks,” and tries to ignore everyone the rest of the way to the Academy. Between Mokona’s muffled snickering at his ear and the way Fai’s every breath draws his attention like a moth to flame, he does not succeed. He tries to imagine what the magic might look like—Fai somehow brighter and more incandescent than he already is, blue eyes cutting through his soul, that signature white and blue written into his skin or drifting off him in waves...

…Fuck. He’s so doomed.

#TRC #tsubasa reservoir chronicle #kurogane #kurofai #fanfic

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chorusfm · 6 years

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The Top Albums of 2018 (So Far)

I think I say this every year but fuck it – the music 2018 has blessed us with in its first six months has been extraordinary. With all the insane shit happening around us and to us in this day and age, it feels like music is the only sane thing we have. So below we have our top 20 favorite releases of the year thus far. If you can’t find something to love on this list then you just aren’t trying hard enough – this is an eclectic list that encompasses multiple genres and styles. I can’t wait to see what the next six months brings to our ears. Note: You can share your own list in our music forum. The Top Albums of 2018 (So Far) 1. Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers Brian Fallon came up in the New Jersey punk scene writing nostalgic rock songs about ferris wheels and that old house in Asbury Park and sleeping on the beach. He did it all so damn well that his band, The Gaslight Anthem, famously earned the Springsteen seal of approval. Fallon is a Jersey boy through and through, which makes the idea of his new departure of a solo record—an organ-led, British-invasion-influenced solo record recorded in New Orleans—so fascinating. That he completely pulled it off, continuing his incredible hot streak of albums that began with 2008’s The ’59 Sound, proves that Brian Fallon is among America’s greatest living songwriters. Following his solo debut, 2016’s great if slightly by-the-numbers Painkillers, Sleepwalkers feels far more confident and mature, as Brian Fallon stretches his skillset into a dozen interesting new territories. The NOLA flavor shows up when Fallon experiments with sultry new rhythms in “Come Wander With Me” and the horn-driven title track. “Forget Me Not” references the Beatles in the bridge to signal to listeners that, yes, this is a ‘60s pop song. There is a sizable dose of Pearl Jam in the grungy guitar tones on “My Name Is The Night (Color Me Black),” and there is just enough Barry Manilow flavor in stadium-sized ballad “Etta James,” which sounds like if “Mandy” were performed by a guy with neck tattoos. Still, despite the rampant experimentation, Sleepwalkers is as cohesive a record as we’ve come to expect from Fallon over the past decade, making it one of the most exciting moments in his impressive discography and one of 2018’s most well-crafted records. [JB] 2. The Wonder Years – Sister Cities “I feel like if you’ve been following The Wonder Years, this is where it’s been going,” frontman Dan Campbell states in the teaser trailer for Sister Cities, and he’s spot on. This is the band’s most dynamic album yet, which says a lot considering how much the band has grown with every release. “Raining in Kyoto”, one of the heavier songs the band has written, introduces the central theme of the record, which is that no matter how far apart we may be physically, we’re all connected by our shared humanity: “an older man stood close by and smiled at me / I rung the bell like he did, I told you I’m sorry / a makeshift funeral, I tried setting you free.” On the other side of the world during his grandfather’s funeral, Campbell found solace in a place that didn’t share a spoken language, but a language of grief and love. The album’s closer, “The Ocean Grew Hands to Hold Me,” is The Wonder Years at their most vulnerable: “when I was in shambles / when I got too weak / the ocean grew hands to hold me.” The song, and the album as a whole, is about darkness and loss, but it’s also triumphant. It’s about realizing that our individual struggles are our collective struggles. At our lowest points, our humanity—the ocean—lifts us up and carries us home. [SS] 3. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour While Kacy Musgraves is a country artist, it’s hard to characterize Golden Hour as a strictly country album. She’s been bending the genre since her release of Same Trailer Different Park in 2013. Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me what genre Golden Hour is placed into because it’s just a good album. Some song on the record (“Slow Burn,” namely) require warming up to them before you can enjoy them in the full context of the album, but I didn’t mind giving this a few spins before it sank in. “High Horse” is a catchy tune and it’s not the only one on the record. With each song, you get the sense that Kacey just wants to do her own thing without focusing on what it’s going to be labeled as. Her personality shines through and that’s what makes this album a fun one to listen to. [DC] 4. Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz Spanish Love Songs are a band that play a particular brand of denim-jacket-punk that feels informed in equal parts by Against Me!…As The Eternal Cowboy and “The Authority Song” by John Mellancamp. Many of their songs contain lyrics where lead vocalist Dylan Slocum fears out loud that he will be killed in an act of random gun violence. This is to say that Spanish Love Songs are an American rock band. Schmaltz is greater than the sum of its parts. At first take, Spanish Love Songs sound a lot like The Menzingers, but that comparison is far too simple to leave unexamined. Compared to the Americana-influenced punk bands that preceded them, Spanish Love Songs’ choruses are more immediate with a notable to well-crafted vocal melodies and the inclusion of synthesizers to punch up the pop elements. The vocals are more frantic and anxious, as Slocum agonizes about the intersection of the aging process, the death of loved ones, and the definite timeline of his own life. Sure, the music Spanish Love Songs make may sound familiar, but the band have nailed the execution to the extent that Schmaltz is handily one of 2018’s most exciting releases from a new band. [JB] 5. Now, Now – Saved Every once in a while the perfect album seems to come along at the perfect time for me. I hear it, it just clicks, and it becomes not only my soundtrack for a few weeks, but my soundtrack for the year. Right now, that’s been the newest album from Now, Now. I find myself returning to Saved when I’m looking for a pick-me-up, when I’m looking to get into my feels on a late night, and when I’m just trying to zone out after a long day at work. The kind of album that just feels perfectly made for where I’m at and what I’m looking for from a record right now. I’m a sucker for pop-music that retains a strong emotional resonance. For music that is full of huge choruses and melodies while maintaining an emotional core. By and large, I think that’s the thread that’s followed me through my entire musical journey. It’s what really draws me to music in the first place. As we reflect on the albums that have made the first part of the year so special for us, I think about what’s going to stay with me through the rest of the year as well. I’ll be playing “SGL” while the sun’s out all summer, listening to “Knowme” as the leafs start to change colors, and have “P0WDER” on repeat in my headphones by the fire this winter. It’s an album for all seasons, for all moods, and it’s been my runaway favorite of the year so far. [JT] 6. Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait For Love After spending the last three Pianos Become The Teeth records recounting the life, love, pain, and loss of his father from multiple sclerosis, the band’s latest album Wait For Love features frontman Kyle Durfey exploring his own fatherhood, as he got married and had a child after finding some sort of closure on 2014’s Keep You. Wait For Love isn’t a happy record nor a sad record – it’s a realistic one that beautifully and painfully captures all the intoxicating highs and devastating lows of being a husband and father. The record is as emotionally complex as you’d expect from a Pianos record, but Durfey’s melodies have never been more powerful, surrounded by the band’s increased gracefulness in their musicianship and enhanced by David Haik’s pulsating and brilliant drumming. From the initial euphoric wave of “Fake Lighting” to the gorgeously intense closer “Blue,” Wait For Love is bursting with some of 2018’s most heartfelt, vulnerable tracks as Pianos Become The Teeth earnestly march into the next exhilarating phase of their career. (DB) 7. Pusha T – DAYTONA It’s been a long season for hip-hop, filled with new releases and controversy in equal measure. While many have taken Kanye West to task for his inane infatuation with Trump and a number of right-wing pundits, there was a certain curiousness ascribed to the announcement of his ambitious Wyoming Sessions. West set out to release five G.O.O.D Music albums within a month, and while ye may be polarizing enough to finally keep some listeners from buying into the producer’s schtick, the first release of these sessions, Pusha T’s DAYTONA, may be the best of the bunch. DAYTONA is as close as it gets to an instant classic, and the publicity surrounding the release, for better or worse, fuels that fact. In some ways, DAYTONA is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Pusha T – that is, luxury drug raps – but in another way, the album pushes new boundaries for the rapper. From the melodicism of opening single “If You Know You Know” to the stunning guitar samples on “The Games We Play” and “Santeria,” King Push manages to mix more braggadocio and quotables in just seven tracks than most rappers are capable of in an hour-plus. [AM] 8. Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog There is no voice in modern rock and roll as unique and indescribable as Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan. A constant see-saw between something beautiful and ugly, she undertakes a variety of different approaches, as if her voice is assuming a different character each time. And it’s so very apparent on the band’s incredible third album, Bark Your Head Off, Dog – a record that encapsulates a catharsis in the most imperfect yet perfect ways. Tracks like “How You Got Your Limp” and “Not Abel” prove that you don’t need to be abrasive to be impactful, each song channeling the tender yet spastic density of the band’s music. Bark Your Head Off, Dog may be the most visceral record of 2018, innately sticking with you long after the final track has finished playing. [DB] 9. Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer Josh Tillman is one of the most divisive voices in indie-rock, for reasons that are clear, but also somewhat silly. It seems many can’t stand the performer’s growing penchant for satire and theatrics, and if that’s the case, many will rejoice upon hearing his shortest and least ironic offering under the moniker yet. Taking sonic cues from his entire discography, God’s Favorite Customer is a piano record, a comparatively minimalist affair that often bursts into lavish compositions that would make a Beatle blush. Rooted in heartbreak and isolation, Gods Favorite Customer offers the unique songwriting chops fans have come to love as well as an unbridled and often bleak look at this particular songwriter’s process. An album of pleas, Tillman chastises himself on “Just Dumb Enough to Try” (“But I’m just dumb enough to try/To keep you in my life/For a little while longer”), but also switches places with his partner on standouts “Please Don’t Die” (“And honey, I’m worried ’bout you/Put yourself in my shoes/You’re all that I have/So please don’t die, wherever you are tonight”) and “The Songwriter.” Saving its least performative bits for the B-side, God’s Favorite Customer is the unfortunately common high point of an artist’s career mirroring a low point in their personal life. [AM] 10. Jeff Rosenstock – POST- If Jeff Rosenstock’s We Cool? is about the internally-directed disquiet that comes when an anxious person starts noticing the aging process, and if WORRY. is about the externally-directed disquiet that comes when an anxious person decides to get married and settle down in a troubled political climate, POST- is about that same anxious person trying their absolute hardest to keep it together in the era of Donald Trump. While POST- doesn’t shake up the WORRY. sound all that much (discounting some experimentation with longer song structures in the opening and closing tracks), Rosenstock has clearly gone through significant changes since Inauguration Day. Specifically, he’s writing from a much lower place. While Jeff postured himself as the flag-bearer in the movement against all that is fucked up in the world on WORRY., POST- finds the singer full of anxiety and paranoia with nothing but questions to offer. Did my friends and neighbors vote for him? How can I speak out against this? Is there really any point in doing so? Can I start a new life in Australia or something? And while “Let Them Win” doesn’t begin to start answering these questions, it does present the only possible conclusion, the only mantra that feels within reach: no matter how bad things get, we’re not gonna let them win. [JB] 11. Fall Out Boy – MANIA If you could put me in a time machine that looks like a DeLorean and shoot me back to the release of Fall Out Boy’s Take This To Your Grave, and let me tell myself that in 15 years the band would still be going strong, and, in fact, may have just released their best album? I’d probably believe time-traveling-Jason. I’ve always believed that this band is special and it’s thrilling for me to watch their career unfold. The constant has been the band’s ability to write very good songs. They’ve walked through a variety of different genres and branched out their sound, but I’d argue that the the underlying “Fall Out Boy-ness” has always remained. (Uh, ditto for people arguing about them on my forums.) MANIA has quickly grown to be one of my favorite Fall Out Boy albums. I’m drawn to this brash confidence I can feel in the songs. It’s got a pulsing soul that reverberates through a razor-tight 36 minutes. Between foot-stomping choruses and soul-baring ballads, it’s the amount of pure fun that I find in the album I’m drawn most to. In a world that feels more hellish each day, there’s a comfort to this record. I’m not surprised this band is still cranking out great songs all these years later, but I’m always pleasantly surprised when I not only find something to like, but something I genuinely want to listen to. Well done you little pleasing purple record you. [JT] 12. Lord Huron – Vide Noir Lord Huron, the indie rock group from Los Angeles, have had quite a few years to grow into their trademark sound of atmospheric landscapes and wandering journeys. Vide Noir, the third studio album and their first on a major label, was mixed by Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, The Flaming Lips) and self-produced by front-man Ben Schneider, in which he has crafted his early career masterpiece. Schneider recently credited this album to a new habit of taking nighttime drives around LA and the “search for meaning amidst the cold indifference of the universe,” according to his recent social media posts. This album in particular speaks to the late night journeys that Schneider had become accustomed to and takes the listener on a rewarding path of self discovery. Lord Huron are at their most comfortable when they experiment with these sonic landscapes and there’s plenty of this apparent on this LP. [AG] 13. Caitlyn Smith – Starfire Some artists just have those voices that you can’t deny. You might not usually listen to the genre they hail from, and you might not even love the songs, but you can hear them sing and understand why people love their music. Adele is one of those artists. Chris Stapleton is one of those artists. Jeff Buckley, when he was alive, was one of those artists. And Caitlyn Smith is one of those artists, too. For my money, Smith’s debut, titled Starfire, is one of the two or three most well-sung LPs of the decade so far. I’m guessing that one listen to the theatrical tour-de-force “East Side Restaurant” will be enough to tell you why. While Smith’s voice is the centerpiece, though, Starfire is what it is because of the songwriting. Smith has been waiting for this moment for a long time, releasing a series of EPs and writing songs for everyone from Garth Brooks to Dolly Parton to Meghan Trainor and John Legend. Starfire encapsulates that long-haul story into a record about chasing a dream until it breaks your heart—and then chasing it even harder. Songs like “Don’t Give up on My Love” and “This Town Is Killing Me” ache with the sting of everything you sacrifice when you gamble your life on a fool’s hope of music industry success. “They buried my granddad without me/’Cause I was out on the road at some one-off show in Tupelo/And I can’t take that one back,” Smith sings in the latter. Starfire is an album built on a lot of miles, a lot of lonely nights in shitty motel rooms, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. You can hear every ounce of what the journey cost in the songs, so when Smith belts something like the rafter-shaking key change at the climax of “Tacoma,” it feels like nothing less than a triumph of the human spirit. [CM] 14. Camp Cope – How To Socialise and Make Friends There’s a renaissance of primal, emotionally-charged punk rock coming out of Melbourne, Australia right now (roo-rock?) and the all-female Camp Cope is leading the charge. Lead singer Georgia Maq started as a solo artist, but added Kelso Hellmrich and Sarah Thompson to great effect on their second studio album, How to Socialize & Make Friends, a loose reference to the classic Dan Carnegie self-help book published in the 30’s. Maq is equal parts sincere, sarcastic, bitter, and brazen singing about gender politics (“And all my success has got nothing to do with me/Yeah, tell me again how there just aren’t that many girls in the music scene”) and just surviving in a world not built for sensitive people (“But sometimes it’s hard to go outside/And I’ve been driving way too much/I’ve been too lazy to fix my bike”). Her beautiful banshee scream is reminiscent of Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan’s, but nothing about Camp Cope is purely derivative. Now in their prime as a band, they have created a place for themselves all their own. [DK] 15. Underoath – Erase Me The first time I heard “rase Me, I was let down—but somehow totally vibing with album standout “No Frame.” And then I listened again. And again. The songs started wiggling their way into my head. And then I listened again. The next thing I knew, I was belting every song for weeks on end. I’d trusted Underoath for fifteen years, and they delivered again, despite my initial reaction. Listening to an album “freed from religion” was listening to the catharsis of a man not afraid to address God from a place of vulnerability and honesty unafraid of how he was perceived in the asking, conquering the addiction demons of his past, and coming to a new sense of identity—all while exploring new avenues of sound for the band. Some defined these new sounds as selling out—and while I would’ve preferred more “Hold Your Breath”-type songs to “Rapture”-type songs—I’m all for bands writing what they want to write. This will never be remembered as their greatest album, but with enough time, it becomes an intensely personal album if you let it. The soaring chorus of “In Motion” or the absolutely crushing bridge of “ihateit” spoke directly to my life experiences. Spencer sang words echoing the thoughts I’ve kept on scraps of paper only I see. When I come to music, I just like to be seen. Thirteen years after “Young and Aspiring” changed my life, Underoath still makes music that sees me. And I still see them. I’m so happy for the continued success and happiness they’ve found along the way. Erase Me is an album about the journey, and I’m already excited for what the destination of a next album promises. [GL] 16. Soccer Mommy – Clean Perhaps no other artist understands coming of age in the 2010s the way Soccer Mommy’s Sophie Allison does. Her first proper full-length, Clean, displays her knack for chronicling the uncertainties of young love, feeling misunderstood, and avoiding one’s parents in a way that feels far more mature than the subject matter would suggest. Take “Flaw”’s honest retelling of a relationship gone sour, culminating in the self-aware line: “I choose to blame it all on you, ‘cause I don’t like the truth.” Or listen to the rollicking, defiant single “Your Dog,” a screed against a controlling boyfriend that turns into a positive affirmation of her autonomy. It’ll be exciting to watch Allison grow, but for now, Clean is a hell of a first step. [ZD] 17. Animal Flag – Void Ripper Animal Flag’s latest full-length, Void Ripper, is aptly named. It’s the band’s darkest and heaviest release yet, and the music is every bit as crushing and apocalyptic as Matt Politoski’s lyrics behind it – lyrics like, “everyone I know will die” and “life is short, it always ends.” While Politoski’s lyrics are admittedly depressing, they’re also his most personal and thought-provoking yet. He and the rest of Animal Flag have torn through the void, and what they discovered on the other side was something beautiful. [ZD] 18. Frank Turner – Be More Kind Frank Turner is an Englishman, dutifully touring his way around the world and then back again, racking up a whopping 2,202 shows under his belt. So if anyone knows what might help our country right now, it’s probably the very world-weary Frank Turner. On Be More Kind he prescribes one part decency (“Be more kind, my friends/Try to be more kind”) , one part rage (“Let’s make America great again/By making racists ashamed again.”), and one part persistence (“Put on your brave face, honey, your brave face/It’s funny how fear can bring your focus in tight”). It’s a winning formula and the subject matter forces Turner to slow down in way he’s never done before. He leans in hard on the end-of-the-world theme with titles like “21st Century Survival Blues” and “Making America Great Again,” but mostly gone are the fast guitars and punk power chords, replaced instead with sensitive acoustic strumming and even, on standout track “Blackout”, a clubby dance beat. Turner crafts a surprisingly mellow, insightful album, one that feels, more than ever, like one he’s been wanting to make. And if takes an Englishman with four chords to save our country, well, we’ll take it any way we can get it. [DK] 19. The Republic of Wolves – Shrine After my first listen of Shrine I knew that this was a very special record. On their 3rd LP The Republic of Wolves return to their roots. This record delivers an album full of dynamic dark alt rock songs that are sure to fill a void for some. Lyrically, Shrine is a concept album that centers around Japanese folklore while still touching on relatable themes such as heartbreak (Birdless Cage) and spiritual conflict (Bask) . One of the album’s highlights is the centerpiece “Dialogues,” which takes the listener through a musical journey of both loud and soft dynamics, while also containing a call back a track on the bands first LP “Monologues.” The production on shrine is fantastic and contains some of the best guitar tones I’ve heard this year. This record delivers on many layers and is a must listen for fans of dynamic alternative rock. [Teebs41] 20. Turnstile – Time & Space If you’re looking for 2018’s most wild ride look no further than Turnstile’s Roadrunner Records debut, Time & Space. Blending the perfect mix of shout-along choruses, super groovy musicianship, and just the right amount of heavy to get the pit moving (thanks to Will Yip’s crisp production), the Baltimore quintet is the most exciting and unique band to emerge from the hardcore scene in years. “Generator” flows like an out-of-body experience, elevating above any and all distractions, while the fuzzy crunch of “Moon” features a guest turn from Sheer Mag’s Tina Halladay and the blistering “Right To Be” features added production from none other than Diplo. Clocking in with 13 tracks at just under a half hour, Time & Space proves that the tired ideas of what hardcore should be will not stop Turnstile from getting freaky and releasing one of the best albums of the year. [DB] Contributor Key * [CM]: Craig Manning * [JT]: Jason Tate * [AM]: Aaron Mook * [SS]: Scott Surette * [ZD]: Zac Djamoos * [DC]: Deanna Chapman * [DB]: Drew Beringer * [AG]: Adam Grundy * [GL]: Garrett Lemons * [JB]: John Bazley * [DK]: David Kallison Contributor Lists Jason Tate * Now, Now – Saved * Fickle Friends – You Are Someone Else * Fall Out Boy – Mania * Half Waif – Lavender * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Dessa – Chime * The Neighbourhood – The Neighbourhood * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Natalie Prass – The Future and the Past * Pennywise – Never Gonna Die * Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer * Soccer Mommy – Clean * Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz * Nathan Gray – Feral Hymns * Illuminati Hotties – Kiss Yr Frenemies * The Republic of Wolves – Shrine * Lykke Li – So Sad So Sexy * The Longshot – Love is For Losers * Annie-Marie – Speak Your Mind * Tonight Alive – Underworld Drew Beringer * Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer * The Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog * Turnstile – Time & Space * Petal – Magic Gone * Self Defense Family – Have You Considered Punk Music * Beach House – 7 * Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait For Love * Sleep – The Sciences * Tiny Moving Parts – Swell * Jeff Rosenstock – POST- * Culture Abuse – Bay Dream * Rolling Blackouts C.F. – Hope Downs * Dance Gavin Dance – Artificial Selection * Wax Idols – Happy Ending * Now, Now – Saved * Hurry – Every Little Thought * Drowse – Cold Air * Wye Oak – The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs * Anthony Green – Would You Still Be In Love Adam Grundy * Lord Huron – Vide Noir * Middle Kids – Lost Friends * The Aces – When my heart felt volcanic * CHVRCHES – Love is Dead * The Neighbourhood – S/T * Moon Taxi – Let the record play * Car Seat Headrest- Twin Fantasy * Kendrick Lamar/VA – Black panther soundtrack * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Senses Fail – If there is light… * Dashboard Confessional – Crooked Shadows * Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night sweats – Tearing at the Seams * Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino * The Voidz – Virtue * Underoath – Erase Me * Superorganism – S/T * Ben Howard – Noonday Dream * Pennywise – Never Gonna Die * Father John misty – Gods favorite customer * The Longshot – Love is for Losers Craig Manning * Caitlyn Smith – Starfire * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Tenille Townes – The Living Room Worktapes * Dawes – Passwords * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Donovan Woods – Both Ways * Field Report – Summertime Songs * Brothers Osborne – Port Saint Joe * Steve Moakler – Born Ready * Dierks Bentley – The Mountain * LANCO – Hallelujah Nights * Ashley Monroe – Sparrow * Brandi Carlile – By the Way, I Forgive You * Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain * Parker Millsap – Other Arrangements * The Dangerous Summer – The Dangerous Summer * The Church Sisters – A Night at the Opry * Snow Patrol – Wildness * Ashley McBryde – Girl Going Nowhere * American Aquarium – Things Change Scott Surette * the wonder years — sister cities * the republic of wolves — shrine * pusha t — daytona * dance gavin dance — artificial selection * hop along — bark your head off, dog * jeff rosenstock — post- * pianos become the teeth — wait for love * turnstile — time and space * cardi b — invasion of privacy * soccer mommy — clean * jpegmafia — veteran * tiny moving parts — swell * the dangerous summer — the dangerous summer * senses fail — if there is a light, it will find you * pennywise — never gonna die Deanna Chapman * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Hidden Hospitals – Liars * Marian Hill – Unusual * Caitlyn Smith – Starfire * Brothers Osborne – Port Saint Joe * The XCERTS – Hold On To Your Heart * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Hurry – Every Little Thought * Elder Brother – Stay Inside * The Longshot – Love Is for Lovers Zac Djamoos * Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz * The Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Soccer Mommy – Clean * Animal Flag – Void Ripper * Camp Cope – How to Socialise and Make Friends * Long Neck – Will This Do * awakebutstillinbed – what people call low self-esteem… * Pianos Become the Teeth – Wait for Love * illuminati Hotties – Kiss Yr Frenemies 1 * Mighty – Mighty * The Republic of Wolves – shrine * No Thank You – All It Takes to Ruin It All * Black Foxxes – Reidi 14. Runaway Brother – New Pocket * Speak Low If You Speak Love – Nearsighted * Jeff Rosenstock – Post- * Toy Cars – Paint Brain * Late Bloomer – Waiting * Barely Civil – We Can Live Here Forever * Casey – Where I Go When I Am Sleeping Aaron Mook * Caroline Rose – LONER * Porches – The House * Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer * The Sidekicks – Happiness Hours * Pusha T – DAYTONA * Beach House – 7 * American Pleasure Club – A Whole Fucking Lifetime of This * Donovan Wolfington – Waves * Kraus – Path * Mount Eerie – Now Only Chrisanne Grise * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Franz Ferdinand – Always Ascending * Lord Huron – Vide Noir * Florence and the Machine – High as Hope * Leon Bridges – Good Thing * David Byrne – American Utopia * Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer * Frank Turner – Be More Kind * The Longshot – Love is for Losers * Kate Nash – Yesterday Was Forever David Kallison * Camp Cope – How to Socialize and Make Friends * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz * Sorority Noise – YNAAT * Frank Turner – Be More Kind * Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog * illuminati hotties – Kiss Yr Frenemies * Coach Phillips – Learning How To Swim EP * Pelafina – Sorry In Advance * Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Tiny Little Houses – Idiot Proverbs * The Penske File – Salvation * Childish Gambino – “This is America” single * Juice WRLD – Goodbye and Good Riddance * Pllush – Stranger to the Pain * Nahan Gray – Feral Hymns * Animal Flag – Void Ripper John Bazley * Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz * The Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Staten – I don’t want to be alone anymore * Now, Now – Saved * Pusha T – Daytona * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Kevin Gates – Chained to the City EP * Kississippi – Sunset Blush * Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer * Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog * The HIRS Collective – Friends. Lovers. Favorites. * Jeff Rosenstock – POST- * A Will Away – Hear Again EP * J Cole – KOD * Saba – Care For Me * Tiny Moving Parts – Swell * Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel * Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy * Animal Flag – Void Ripper * Zaytoven – Trap Holizay Garrett Lemons * Underoath – Erase Me * The Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Beyonce & Jay-Z — Love Is Everything * Jeff Rosenstock – POST- * The Weeknd – My Dear Melancholy * Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy * Frank Turner – Be More Kind * Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes * Dashboard Confessional – Crooked Shadows * Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait For Love * The Dangerous Summer – The Dangerous Summer * Senses Fail – If There Is A Light… * The Republic of Wolves – Shrine * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer * Migos – Culture II * Now, Now – Saved * Justin Timberlake – Man of the Woods * Pusha T – Daytona Ryan Gardner * The Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait For Love * Now, Now – Saved * The Sidekicks – Happiness Hours * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * The Dangerous Summer – The Dangerous Summer * Underoath – Erase Me * Turnstile – Time & Space * Soccer Mommy – Clean * Harms Way – Posthuman Tommy Monroe * Pusha T – Daytona * Anne-Marie – Speak Your Mind * Charlie Puth – Voicenotes * Cozz – Effected * First Aid Kit – Ruins * Vance Joy – Nation Of Two * Princess Nokia – A Girl Cried Red * Fall Out Boy – Mania * Camila Cabello – CAMILA * Jay Rock – Redemption * Beyoncé & Jay-Z – Everything Is Love * Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer * Cardi B – Invasion Of Privacy * Royce da 5’9 – Book Of Ryan * Migos – culture 2 * J. Cole – KOD * The Dangerous Summer – The Dangerous Summer * Julie Bergan – Turn On The Lights * Kids See Ghosts – KIDS SEE GHOSTS * Kanye West – Ye Aj LaGambina * Now, Now – Saved * Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait for Love * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Animal Flag – Void Ripper * Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Jeff Rosenstock – Post- * Tiny Moving Parts – Swell * Fall Out Boy – Mania * MGMT – Little Dark Age Eric Wilson * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Mayday Parade – Sunnyland * Camila Cabello – Camila * Mike Shinoda – Post Traumatic * Fall Out Boy – MANIA * Mat Kearney – Crazytalk * Dashboard Confessional – Crooked Shadows * Tonight Alive – Underworld * State Champs – Living Proof --- Please consider supporting us so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/features/articles/the-top-albums-of-2018-so-far/

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32ortonedge32dh · 7 years

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The Muffs - Blonder and Blonder

Background

This was probably the height of the Muffs' popularity. Their cover of "Kids in America" was heard by millions in Clueless, and "Sad Tomorrow" from this LP was doing well on the radio (as Kim Shattuck would proclaim in concert as her excuse for refusing to tune). It was looking all uphill from here, as labels were scrambling to hop on the pop-influenced punk wave that was brewing, but it just wasn't to be. The Muffs are still around, one hiatus and several albums later, but they unfortunately never got big enough to draw the stadium crowds that Green Day and some other contemporaries did. While they started to touch success, they weren't quite allowed to grasp it and hold on. No one quite knows why it didn't work too well, but at least we have a solid discography to go back to.

Track by Track Thoughts

"Agony" starts off the album with the energy you can always expect from the gang. The departure of Melanie Vammen isn't exactly glaring (much like her presence on the first album), but the change from Criss Crass to Roy McDonald behind the drums is clear. Where Criss brought straightforward punk energy, with the Muffs Roy seems to restrain himself and play more to the song. The drums usually take a backseat to the punchy guitars and catchy melodies, and this track is no different. Kicks and snares hit almost playfully with vocal punches at times ("soon you'll re-a-lize"). Ronnie Barnett delivers what he usually does, bass that plays nice with the guitar and vocals and is usually mixed too quietly to hear it anyway. Kim provides the normal couple chords and switches nicely between melodic stretches and her trademark scream, capping the song off with a series of yells that wouldn't feel out of place on a metal track.

"Oh Nina" is a live favorite and it's clear why from the jump: the guitar, bass, and snares hitting in machine gun succession can liven up the deadest crowd, and the sing-songy flow and catchy chorus are just plain fun. The screams are on point and numerous, as usual, making you wonder how she's still able to talk after hundreds of times performing this song. The subject matter, presumably about being lured in by a transsexual (or a "queer," as Kim puts it) is funny enough. In general, this is another exercise in consistency by the group, nothing amazing but always a good listen.

"On and On" sees Ronnie's bass poke through a little more, with another nice melody and riff from Kim and solid drums from Roy. "Two ugly people come my way, tell me that I'm wrong" perfectly encapsulates the adolescent rebel vibe ever present in Kim's lyrics. The key change towards the end of the track is a rare treat in the Muffs' discography, another callback to the songs of old that influenced Kim's songwriting. This one's the shortest on the album, clocking in at 1:47.

"Sad Tomorrow" is likely their most talked about song, even though it's honestly not much of a standout on the album or in their catalog as a whole. Ronnie's bass is audible once again, mostly matching Kim's vocals throughout. The solo is used sparingly throughout the Muffs' history, but it's present here, again mostly following the vocal melody.

"What You've Done" is a story of a love gone wrong, another topic Kim's no stranger to. "One fine day I caught you lying" explains the mystery of what you've done pretty bluntly. This is another shorter track, again not reaching two minutes. There's a solid few chords as usual, plus a solo, but there's not much to really go into. The hook is catchy but being interspersed among the vocal- and rhythm-driven verses may hurt it some.

"Red-Eyed Troll" seems to me to be the story of a girl who picks on Kim and tries to steal her boyfriend. It's notable for being the only track where Kim drops an F-bomb ("You piece of shit now, you fuckin' jerk"). This is another fun listen, with the verse seeing the bass hitting with the kick drum and the guitar laying quick, maybe Primus-like chord hits over the snare. During the hook, the bass switches to arpeggiating up and down while the guitar sustains a bit. One false ending and a frantic coda brings it to an end.

"End It All" feels even shorter than it is. It's pretty standard for them, essentially all hook with simple but energetic instrumentation. It's catchy enough, but that's all you'll get. But isn't that all you need?

"Laying on a Bed of Roses" is half indecipherable, but the other half might be about Kim getting mad at a lover who she feels she works too hard for, or something. I don't know. It's not necessarily as catchy as others on here, nor is it as energetic, but it just grooves nicely. It might be a bit of a grower for some as compared to other tracks on here, so keep that in mind.

"I Need a Face" is the first of two face-related tracks on the LP, and the one that has the funniest story relating to it (Kim dedicating it to Kurt Cobain the day after his suicide, leading Roy to quit on his first day before coming right back). This one's catchy, with a fun bassline and a hook made for a crowd to sing along to ("Hang on, hang on, hang on meeee").

"Won't Come Out to Play" is my personal favorite from the album. It's another one that's basically all hook, and the hook is incredibly catchy despite the dour lyrics. The bass is great and plays nice with everything else, the guitar work could be a singalong on its own, the drums stand out a bit without taking over, and the key change is the best I've heard from them. Packing all of this into just a minute and 52 seconds makes this one you could play over and over without getting tired of bobbing your head.

"Funny Face" is one of the slower tracks on here, at around 67 BPM. Another one you want to sing with. The triplet guitar riff and hi-hats together make for a good listen, and even if I couldn't decode the lyrics' larger meaning at gunpoint, they're easy enough to make out. If there's one thing to criticize, it's the fade out ending. Who the hell likes a fade out?

"Ethyl My Love" is another fan favorite, written about the side character played by Vivian Vance on I Love Lucy. The easy to follow chorus, crazy screams from Kim, and the relatively soft bridge that jumps right back into the chaos all probably contribute to the song's status among many diehard Muffs fans (Muff-heads? Muff divers?).

"I'm Confused" is another favorite of mine, though I prefer the demo version by a lot. It oozes petulance in the way only Kim can ("I hate everyone, and I don't like it son," "Everybody is an ass"), and when you combine that with the instrumental it creates another standout by the group. The way the song devolves into chaos is a nice touch, with multiple guitar tracks, the bass track, and the drums just going nuts for the last 45 seconds or so. It adds to the idea of being confused, and serves as an abrupt transition into the closer.

"Just a Game" finishes this LP softly, with a solo track by Kim. Whatever the lyrics mean, the song as a whole manages to give you the feeling that it's closing time. At just a second under two minutes, it's not exactly a marathon, but the slower tempo makes it feel longer than it is. It's not a barn burner like you might expect an album by a triad of pop punkers to close on, but it somehow fits. It's a rare treat live and, when Shattuck can hit the notes, it's easy to see why.

Final Thoughts

Blonder and Blonder is decidedly less punk than the Muffs' previous, self-titled effort, but it fits into their discography as a perfect middle ground in their transition from that more punk, less pop to more of a balance like you'll find on Really Really Happy. Any Muffs fans out there have undoubtedly already heard this album, and fans of the genre would be remiss if they hadn't given it a shot. For those on the fence, or those who might not be familiar with the pop punk blend, you should probably give it a spin if you're into the kind of three chord, aggression over art style that groups like the Ramones and Nirvana were known for. While you can hear the influence of older, softer groups, it's not a smooth transition from them to this, so it might not be a great starting point for them. If you only know the Muffs from Sad Tomorrow or Kids in America and didn't like what you heard, it might be worth peeping depending on what you liked and disliked. Disliking Kim's voice would make this a hard no, obviously, since it's her band and her voice on every track. If you disliked the songwriting or the poppiness, it might be worth a shot considering "Kids in America" was a cover and "Sad Tomorrow" was essentially their play for college pop/rock radio.

The positives outweigh the negatives on this project for me by far. The Muffs' consistency is as much of a boon as it is a hindrance. Kim could write a song in her sleep, but you might not remember it the next day. This album provides some standouts, but not as many as you might expect considering the critical acclaim and the mix of youth and experience Kim, Ronnie, and Roy had at the time. There's pretty endless replay value, as the songs manage to fit well on the album without blending together or feeling too samey and it doesn't command your attention necessarily. It's not too long and it's not something you can't skip tracks on if you want to. Overall, I think these things make Blonder and Blonder a solid 8/10 in my book.

#music #music review #review #8/10

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itsiotrecords-blog · 7 years

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Britney Spears was the hottest thing in the world for a long, long time. If you’d like us to be more specific, Britney Spears was the hottest thing in the world from 1999 – 2006. Her debut album …Baby One More Time became the best selling album from any teenager ever. Have you seen her music videos? Girlfriend may not have the best voice, but her music videos are legendary. Britney in a schoolgirl outfit? Britney in a red latex catsuit? Yep, we’re sold. Her world tours were crushin’ it. She performed during the Super Bowl Halftime show. She was on magazine covers. She earned Grammy nominations. She dated Justin Timberlake. She kissed Madonna at the VMAs. She was It. Then, 2007 happened. If you Google “Britney Spears 2007,” you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about. It was a year that included Bald Britney and her trusty umbrella. Many people didn’t think there was any coming back from that, but Britney came back. She now has a wildly popular residency in Las Vegas that is reportedly earning her $475,000 a show. She managed to not shave her head, get arrested, or get married in the past few years. It seems that Britney is back. However, she can never truly be back. Her breakdown is something that taints her image, no matter how much effort she puts into rehabbing it. Yes, she looks great and performs with the same fire she once had, but we can all still recall Bald Brit with her umbrella. Prior to 2007, Britney was on top of the world and there were no bat-shit crazy photos to blemish her image. She was truly perfect. That was when Britney was in her prime. Here are 18 photos to remind you just how on top of the world ol’ Britney was at such a young age.

#1 Wearing A Very Practical Metal Shirt This shirt is not practical in any regard. In fact, we’re betting that a chain mail shirt is pretty uncomfortable and quite chilly. Also, the fact that it’s only being held together by two delicate chains means Britney can’t do much in it. A slight breeze passes and Brit could be showing much more than she wanted. Practicality aside, this photo is vintage Britney. Between the purple eye shadow and glossy lips, she is reminding us just ridiculous some of her looks were… but she still looked perfect. She actually thrives in these early 2000s styles. Oh, and her body is amazing. We’re pretty sure that belly piercings surged 200% from Brit flaunting her always-taut stomach, and belly button ring. Unfortunately, getting a belly button ring doesn’t automatically make you as hot as Britney. There is only one Britney.

#2 As A Gladiator With A Belly Ring Back in 2001, Britney struck an endorsement deal with Pepsi for a whooping $8 million. Considering how iconic the Britney/Pepsi advertisements were, $8 million was actually a steal. While they worked several different marketing spins, the most memorable is Gladiator Britney. How could you forget this commercial? Some people (totally me) would watch TV just hoping this commercial came on. In it, Britney, Beyonce, and Pink come into a gladiator dome and sing “We Will Rock You.” This is all while drinking Pepsi, of course. A mandate for casting must have been something like, “Singer with abs of steel.” All of these ladies have washboard stomachs. While Britney rocked her sexy-Gladiator look, our favorite part is that she’s still wearing her belly button ring. You can take Brit out of 2001, but you can’t take the belly ring out of Brit.

#3 Britney Spears, Sweet As Pie When Britney Spears first hit the scene, she really milked the wholesome thing. In fact, the “…Baby One More Time” music video was originally supposed to be cartoonish to appeal to a young audience, but Britney had a better idea. She pitched her own concept of it being at a school with lots of dancing. They obviously went for this idea, since it is now what we know as the iconic video. Hold on, Britney is even more genius. Upon looking at the wardrobe, which was a t-shirt and jeans, she then pitched the schoolgirl idea. Again, they went for it. It gets better. She thought the uniforms were too dorky and suggested everyone tie up their shirts. Basically, Britney was the mastermind behind the whole music video, which launched her entire career and brand. People often underestimate Britney, but girlfriend is in tune with what to give the public. This photo is from a shoot with Timothy White in 1999. She’s obviously still milking the sweet as apple pie thing, which was always part of her appeal. Britney was always both the girl next door and, uh, the type of girl who dances with a snake around her neck.

#4 That Rolling Stone Cover In 1999, Britney graced the cover of Rolling Stone for the first time. It would become an iconic photoshoot, both for her and Rolling Stone. This particular photoshoot really encapsulated what was so interesting about Britney. She was 18 years old and somewhere between being a girl and a woman – y’know, as she would sing about later. The cover photo (above) showed the teenage Britney in her underwear while holding both a telephone and a Teletubby. It is rubbing both her sexuality and innocence in your face. It was about this time that the American Family Association condemned Britney. They said that the photoshoot was disturbing because of the way it mixed young innocence and adult sexuality. Uh, that was kind of the point, guys. The AFA urged people to boycott Queen Brit. Obviously, the AFA didn’t make that much of a dent on her career.

#5 That Other Rolling Stones Cover Britney Spears went on to grace the cover of Rolling Stone several times. She’s worn a t-shirt and jeans on the cover, a bra and jeans, an American flag shirt and red leather pants. She also wore just underwear and what seemed like a bed sheet. In 2003, she graced the cover in the above photo, which really, really showed off the curves of her body. 2003 was way past the days of her youth. She had already publicly broken up with Justin, supposedly for cheating on him with a back-up dancer. Britney was no longer the girl in a school uniform. She was a woman. That year also saw the release of her 4th studio album, In The Zone. This album would produce four singles: “Me Against the Music,” “Toxic,” “Everytime,” and “Outrageous.” While everyone remembers Britney’s “Toxic” video (how could you not?), it was her “Everytime” video that really had critics talking. In it, Britney plays a star, who suffers under the stress of the media, dies, and is resurrected into a baby who was born at the hospital. It was oddly prolific considering how Britney would soon struggle under the weight of stardom.

#6 No One Has Ever Looked As Good In A Green Bikini You don’t see many green bikinis. Green can be a difficult color to pull off, especially in bikini form. Britney’s always-tanned bod and honey blonde hair makes it easy for her to look good in just about any color. Seriously, she can wear anything from a red latex catsuit to this green bikini. It also helps that her body is perfectly sculpted. This picture is included because it is, again, vintage Britney. While she is flaunting her amazing body, her face is anything but sultry. She is wearing minimum makeup and has the wind blowing through her hair. Her mega-watt smile isn’t seducing anyone. It more looks like a carefree smile of someone about to jump into a lake. Yet, she’s still seducing anyone who looks at this photo. It’s this duality that made Britney a star. Oh, also she’s rocking her belly ring because duh.

#7 Classic Britney With Crimped Hair Britney with the crimped hair was everything. She somehow pulled off crimped hair, even though no one pulls off crimped hair. This resulted in a ton of people copying her style – think of her herds of young girls who crimped their hair in the early 2000s. Little did those young girls know that Britney with crimped hair is much different than the rest of the world with crimped hair. She rocked crimped hair at awards shows, photoshoots, and in music videos. This photo is a great example of Brit rocking something that would look good on no one else. If you ever saw a girl in real life with half-curled and half-crimped hair, you’d just think she looks… well, she wouldn’t look like Britney. That’s for sure. For whatever reason, Britney looks hot. It also helps that she’s wearing a tiny jean skirt and midriff-bearing tank. Also, I spy a belly ring.

#8 No Biggie, Just Chillin’ In A Field Of Flowers This photo may be the height of Britney doing the wholesome thing. She’s just chillin’ in a field of flowers. She looks just about as youthful and innocent as anyone can possibly look. See? This was her appeal. You’d see this photoshoot, but then you’d also see Britney shimmying in a schoolgirl outfit. It was all so confusing, and all so hot. The issue with this specific appeal is that it’s difficult for someone to keep up long-term. Britney Spears is now 35 years old. She can’t do that sweet, small town girl thing anymore. We all know Britney has been through some shit. In a genius way, Britney does dip into a mature wholesome angle through her social media posts. On her Instagram, she posts photos of her family, photos of goofy selfies, motivational quotes. Britney will even post pictures of goddamn kittens on Instagram just ’cause she thinks they’re cute. It’s a new version of her wholesomeness, as she can’t play the wide-eyed young thing anymore.

#9 That Performance With A Snake We couldn’t not include this photo for several reasons. First of all, look at her. The “I’m a Slave 4 U” period was when Britney’s abs were at the top of their game. We know, we know. Girlfriend always had abs. That’s true, but at this point in her career, she was cut. There is barely any fat on her entire body. This particular performance was at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. We could focus on how hot she is, because duh. Instead, let’s talk about what a performer she is. Girlfriend went on live television with an albino python on her shoulders. I probably wouldn’t put an albino python on my shoulders… like ever, especially not on live television. Britney is a badass, who is willing to do anything to give fans a show. This is why she has endured as one of the most successful singers of all time.

#10 The “I’m A Slave 4 U” Music Video Britney’s performance with the snake outshined the “I’m a Slave 4 U” music video. I mean, she was carrying a snake around on live TV. There was obviously a ton of buzz around that. However, the music video is not to be overlooked. Britney pumped out several iconic music videos in her time, but this may be the sexiest of all her videos. First, there’s her body. Like we said, this was the top of her ab game. There is also the fact that everyone is dripping in sweat in the video. It looks like a hot yoga studio. If you think about it too much, it’s not actually very sexy with all the sweat, but at face value it’s hot. The sweat was apparently tasty too, since someone straight up licks Britney’s face in the video. Lastly, sweaty Brit was wearing her underwear outside of her pants. That may not have been all that practical, but she was sex on a stick. If you had to show an alien one music video to describe what “sexy” is, it would be this video.

#11 Can We Talk About Her Necklace? This picture has so much Britney going on, it’s amazing. First of all, her half-crimped hair again – YES! We don’t know who kept telling her to rock this hairstyle, but we’re so happy about it. Also, we have no idea what her shirt is doing. It’s pink and see-through. In fact, you can see her bra though it. We’re not even sure why she’s wearing a shirt. Half the time, she’d be in bikini top, so what’s up with the see-through shirt? We don’t know. Okay, moving on. We’re super into whatever denim she’s rocking below. It looks like it’s folded down, so it may be shorts, a skirt, or jeans. We have no idea. Does it matter? Nah, not really. She still looks hot. Finally, we have her famous belly ring. It may be the most famous belly ring in all of history. No, seriously. Has anyone ever rocked a belly ring more? We don’t think so. Oh, and the lips necklace! What is that! It’s so bad and so Britney. We love it.

#12 Covered In Toilet Paper… And Still Hot What is this picture? We don’t know. There are the two things making Britney almost unrecognizable – her head is turned. We know it’s Brit (in 2016), but we are only getting the side profile. The second thing is the lack of the belly ring. Where is her famous belly ring? Was she like, ‘Oh, I’m mature now. I better take my belly ring out, even though I’ve been photographed with it in for, like, a decade’? We don’t know her thought process and we’re slightly disappointed that she doesn’t have her belly ring in. It’s the hottest stomach piercing in history. Moving beyond that, her body still looks phenomenal. Like, absolutely amazing. As good as in her prime. However, who the hell styled her? Why is she wearing a bunch of fabric wrapped around her body? She looks like a girl who wrapped toilet paper around herself so she could be a mummy for Halloween. She’s so hot that she still looks good with fabric dripping off of her body.

#13 A Very Cropped Crop Top Alright, this might be the hottest Brit. This was after she shed her good girl image. She didn’t go full-on X-Tina, aka Christina Aguilera circa Dirrty. Also, have we ever uncovered the mystery as to why X-Tina spelled “dirty” as “dirrty”? Why the extra R? The X-Tina era was a drastic change. What was so fascinating about Britney was that she shifted into womanhood all while still being Britney. Much of her brand was still the same, but she has just shaken free of the schoolgirl we were introduced to in 1999. If any picture shows Britney fully indulging in her sultry, southern side, it’s this photo. She’s wearing the most cropped crop top of all time. She’s still sporting her signature tanned skin, blonde hair, and tight stomach. Oh, and of course – her belly ring! Yas, queen of belly piercings. We love it. Her denim shorts are super short and unbuttoned. We get it, Brit. You’re sexy. Your necklace is longer than your shirt. You’re a woman now.

#14 When Britney Won The Super Bowl There was nothing better than Britney in 2001. Between her Pepsi deal, her hit albums, and the fact that she was the hottest thing in the world, Britney had it all in 2001. All included the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Of course, Aerosmith and N Sync were the headline performers. But, for the finale, Britney, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly joined them to perform “Walk This Way”. Some of the performers she shared the stage with are legendary, but look at her abs! This was 100% Britney. She had random braids in her hair, a cut up shirt and shiny NFL pants on. OH, and she also rocked a random sock on her one forearm. It was weird, but Brit pulled it off. The best part was that this was while Britney and Justin were dating. If you watch the performance, she even smiles every time he sings. Was there ever a cuter couple? Also, belly ring!

#15 The Most Epic Jumpsuit Of All Time We’d love to post the entire “Oops!… I Did It Again” video, because it was epic. Britney. In a red latex catsuit. Say no more. She also rocked a white, cropped turtleneck outfit too, which was totally hot. No one remembers the white turtleneck number, though, because the red catsuit was everything. Apparently, the catsuit was Britney’s idea. See? We told you that she had a sixth sense about what would hit. Per Brit’s orders, the costume designer had to stay up all night to make her catsuit. Uh, thank heavens they did, because it will go down in pop culture history. This video was also at the edge of her wholesome image. With lyrics in this song like “Oops! You think I’m in love/That I’m sent from above/I’m not that innocent” Britney was both indulging her audience in sweetness but easing us into her sexy transition.

#16 Whoopsies, Forgot To Button Her Sweater Here is Britney Spears looking hot as hell. Slightly past her wide-eyed, innocent phase, she was embracing the sultry side, all while wearing a cardigan. Of course, she forgot to button her cardigan, whoopsies! Her shorts (or skirt?) was the shortest thing in the world. She could have been wearing underwear. Her body was flawless. And, you know what we’re totally going to point out right now, right? Her belly button ring! Always and forever. Forget The Beatles. The best group in history is Britney, her abs, and her belly ring. Also, here is a prime example of how Brit mixes the sweet and sexy today. She posted this photo on her Instagram recently, with a caption that read: “My friends sent me this picture today… and it’s weird because I just realized it’s one of the only pictures I’ve ever taken upside down!” The photo is hot, but the caption said something about how goofy it is because it’s upside down. That’s Britney – she posts something smokin’ hot but is like, ‘Golly gee, y’all, I’m upside down!’

#17 When She Was Like, “Hey World, I’m A Woman!” While this picture gives you the gist of the performance, if you haven’t seen it, check it out. Britney comes out wearing a suit and singing “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” She then removes her suit to reveal a nude, sparkly outfit and sing “Oops!…I Did It Again.” Her performance is flawless. Does she have the pipes that some of the other greatest pop stars have had? No, not by a long shot. But try, just try, to take your eyes off the screen as Britney performs. She is entertainment at it’s finest. Also, can we talk about how genius Britney was? She used this performance to rebrand herself. Before this, she was the schoolgirl from “…Baby One More Time.” She was bubble gum. She was southern sweetness. She was apple pie with a belly ring. This was her saying, “I’m a woman and I’m sexy.” She was done with being seen as the good, little girl. Using a VMA performance to rebrand would be a move that Miley Cyrus stole from Brit. Why did Miley follow in Brit’s footsteps? Because it friggin’ worked. No one thought Britney was a sweet, young girl after watching this performance. She was powerful, sexy, commanded the stage, and owned everything she touched.

#18 Sugar And Spice, Naughty And Nice We’ll finish with this photo, taken before her 2000 VMA performance. It’s the most perfect example of the Britney paradox. It’s both innocent and remarkably sexy. She is wearing a pink tee shirt that’s tied up. With the addition of her black, leather pants and tight stomach, she’s walking sex. However, her face is fresh and happy. She isn’t batting her eyes at the camera. She’s smiling like it’s the goddamn prom. This is what Britney Spears tapped into in a way that no one will ever be able to tap into again. It was a different America. It was an America that was reeling from the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky affair. Sex was not being served up in such a blunt way, especially by a teenage girl. Then came Britney Spears. Since Britney, we’ve had different versions of pop stars. Taylor Swift taps into the wholesome aspect, but fails to be even a teardrop as sexy. Lady Gaga can do theatrics like Britney, but nothing about Gaga is ever wholesome. Katy Perry is sexy and rocks bubblegum pop tunes, but taps into a pin-up vibe instead of innocence. This mixture of sexy and sweet is what made Britney so desirable and entertaining in her prime. While we still love Britney, nothing will ever top Britney in her prime. It was truly lightning in a bottle.

Source: TheRichest

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'Dancing With the Stars' Week 8 Dance Recap: Best Lifts, Kicks, Tricks and Flips!

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Season 24 of Dancing With the Stars is shaping up to be one of the bests!

The celebrities and their pro partners took it to the next level on Monday night, wowing us with creative choreography, new tricks and a few steamy moments, as well.

From Normani Kordei and Val Chmerkovskiy's emotional contemporary routine to Rashad Jennings' powerful trio dance with Emma Slater and Witney Carson, ET's breaking down all the best moments from week 8 of the dance competition show!

WATCH: 'DWTS' Names Semi-Finalists After Quarterfinal Elimination Sends Home a Fan Favorite

PARTNER DANCES

Rashad Jennings & Emma Slater – Jive, "Shake a Tail Feather" by Blues Brothers

Dance highlight: The jive is all about being slick and quick, and that's exactly what #TeamShadSquad did! From the sparkly costumes to the energetic choreography, this piece was a great way to kick off the night! Our favorite moments occurred at the 0:41 mark, where they incorporated the iconic twist, and at 1:24, when Rashad jumped over Emma, one of the riskiest moves we've seen all season. Judges' score: 36/40. "They should change the definition of entertainer and put a picture of you in Webster's … you are fantastic." – Carrie Ann Inaba ET's score: 38/40. Week after week, the NFL pro has proved he's in it to win it and his work in the ballroom Monday was no exception. We loved seeing his personality really shine through on the dance floor. Although Len Goodman critiqued him on his footwork, we have to admit, we barely noticed any flaws as all eyes were on Rashad and Emma's smiling faces and quick, sharp movements. Celebrity/fan reaction:

Normani Kordei & Val Chmerkovskiy – Contemporary, "Freedom" by Anthony Hamilton and Elayna Boynton

Dance highlight: There is not one section of this dance that we didn't love! Props to Val for creating such a powerful routine that showcased Normani's true talent and strength. The Fifth Harmony singer put her heart and soul into this routine, and everyone in the audience could feel that passion. Her best moments were at the very beginning of the piece, where she was the center of attention as Val and a few troupe dancers danced in a circle around her, her lifts at 0:26 and 0:42 and a piqué turn at 0:56. Judges' score: 40/40. "I'm completely mesmerized. I literally have no words. When you can tell a story like that, it's so profound … you're creating art, you're creating history. Seeing you stripped down like that, you are just gorgeous." – Julianne Hough ET's score: 40/40. After watching this dance, we think it's safe to say Normani IS a dancer. She completely mastered what goes into a contemporary routine -- not only did she move the audience by telling her very emotional, personal story about cyber bullying and finding her strength after the hate, but she nailed each and every step and we couldn't stop watching her. She is hands down a star in every way, and the one to beat this season. Celebrity/fan reaction:

Bonner Bolton & Sharna Burgess – Argentine Tango, "Believer" by Imagine Dragons

Dance highlight: A perfect song for a real-life "Believer!" We loved the creativity and vision Sharna had for this dance, and the two executed it in a sexy, entertaining way. It was refreshing to see Bonner use his arms more this week, really feeling the music and extending his movements to the full counts (0:22). The highlight of the piece began at the 0:44 mark, where #TeamDenimNDiamonds amped up their energy to fit the track's powerful chorus. Judges' score: 30/40. "You made the most of what you got, expertly guided by Sharna … I really appreciate how hard you work, but if you stay into it now, you have to push it to the next level." – Bruno Tonioli ET's score: 34/40. Although Bonner's simple movements were somewhat masked by Sharna's smart choreography, we thought his performance factor was a major improvement from last week, and we enjoyed the story this dance told, about the professional bull rider overcoming adversities after suffering a near-fatal accident last year. While we agree with many of the comments the judges made, we thought Len Goodman's remarks about Bonner making it way further than he should have were a bit out of line. Yes, at this point Bonner was not the strongest dancer in the competition, but it's clear he's improved, has been working hard in rehearsals and was here to have fun, which is what this show is all about Celebrity/fan reaction:

Simone Biles & Sasha Farber – Foxtrot, "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction

Dance highlight: While viewers are constantly amazed whenever Simone busts out her amazing gymnastics tricks in the ballroom, we were so happy Sasha stripped the choreography down this week and focused solely on the athlete's dancing. We especially loved her quick kick at 0:20, the floor spin at 0:46 and that graceful extension at 1:01. Judges' score: 36/40. "Your skills are unquestionable. You have this beautiful smile and you're a megastar…" – Carrie Ann Inaba ET's score: 38/40. This foxtrot was beautiful, and proved Simone doesn't need to incorporate all the advanced moves in order to leave a lasting impression on the audience. This piece was so well done, and one of our favorites from her this season. Celebrity/fan reaction:

David Ross & Lindsay Arnold -- Waltz, "Humble and Kind" by Tim McGraw

Dance highlight: We only have one word for this routine: Stunning. We've seen the former MLB pro show off his humorous side, his sexy side and his strength, but this was the first time the judges didn't critique him for his footwork and it's because it appeared he and Lindsay were dancing on air. The two share a father/daughter-like relationship, and this elegant dance encapsulated that perfectly, with Lindsay standing on top of his feet at 0:20 followed by a pretty arabesque at 0:54 and spin to the floor at 1:21, which David assisted his partner with ever so gently, making the movements appear effortless. Judges' score: 36/40. "It was 100% your best dance." – Len Goodman ET's score: 37/40. Without a doubt, this was the most emotional we've seen David on the show, and we want to see more of where this came from. If he's here to stay, this is the type of performance he needs to bring out each and every time he hits the ballroom. Celebrity/fan reaction:

TRIO DANCES

Rashad & Emma + Witney Carson -- Argentine Tango, "Dreams" by Gabrielle Aplin & Bastille

Dance highlight: Where do we start?! We have to give major credit to Emma for jam-packing this lust vs. love-themed routine with lifts -- they were executed impeccably and delivered that "wow" factor the audience loves. A few of our favorite moments included Rashad's solo lifts with Emma and Witney at 0:18, 0:37 and 0:51, and a lift with both of the girls at 0:58. Judges' score: 39/40. "You had different dynamics when you danced with Emma versus Witney … When you can see that, that's when you know you're a good dancer. Like, you've got this!" – Julianne Hough ET's score: 40/40. Come on, Len! This piece was damn near perfect, and we still don't understand why he docked a point from this fierce and fiery trio. THIS is how an Argentine Tango is done!

David & Lindsay + Hayley Erbert -- Paso Doblé, "Gangsta's Paradise" by 2WEI

Dance highlight: When we heard this trio would be dancing to "Gangsta's Paradise," this is NOT the type of dance we expected, but, hey, it worked! Giving us major Game of Thrones vibes, David stayed in character throughout the dance, serving us with an aggressive performance where he was truly the leading man of the ballroom. The way he ended the routine was both powerful and hilarious. Judges' score: 29/40. "It was colossal! That's what you are." – Bruno Tonioli ET's score: 35/40. Again, we felt the judges were being a bit hard with the scores. David was clearly having a good time out there, and it showed. Our only advice to him would be to not get so caught up in the energy of the dance that you lose form.

Simone & Sasha + Brittany Cherry -- Paso Doblé, "Don't Let Me Down" by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya

Dance highlight: The flipping of the skirts, the gorgeous spins and a backflip at 0:44 -- it was dynamic, unique and certainly fun to watch from beginning to end. Judges' score: 36/40. "If you counted up my scores, you are my favorite to win." – Len Goodman ET's score: 37/40. Simone was the only celebrity who had the challenge of dancing with an additional troupe dancer of the same sex for Trio Night, which in our opinion was a bit unfair because she was expected to dance to the same level of expertise as Brittany. Luckily, she killed it.

Bonner & Sharna + Britt Stewart -- Jazz, "That's What I Like" by Bruno Mars

Dance highlight: Once again, Sharna gave #TeamDenimNDiamonds exactly what they wanted - a risqué routine showcasing Bonner's sexy side. The sure highlight was Bonner dancing atop a desk at the 0:23 mark. Judges' score: 28/40. "I think I'm still recovering from that performance. I feel like we like watched the security cameras and I feel bad. The girls are sassy as can be." – Julianne Hough ET's score: 32/40. We have to agree with most of the judges' remarks on this one, as this routine felt a little uncomfortable to watch. We're not sure if Bonner just wasn't feeling it, or perhaps they didn't have enough rehearsal time, but many of the movements were off count and we felt as if Bonner was just kind of marking the steps. Unfortunately, this was the athlete's last dance as he was eliminated at the end of Monday night's show.

Normani & Val + Alan Bersten -- Jive, "Feeling Alive" by Earl St. Clair

Dance highlight: Leave it to Val to find yet another way to spice things up this week! The pro dancer created a super sassy Southern-themed routine for Trio Night, incorporating a combo of kicks, flips and dips at the beginning of the routine, Normani dancing atop the judges' table at 0:50, plenty of shirtless moments by the guys and a surprise cameo by the ballroom's resident Southern gentleman, Bonner, to end the dance on a perfect note. Judges' score: 39/40. "That was a glorious all-American jive and it was so clever … it added an extra dimension, and extra excitement, without taking over a fantastic dance." - Bruno Tonioli ET's score: 40/40. Just when we thought Normani couldn't possibly get any better, she DID THAT. As we previously mentioned, she is for sure the one to beat this season. The remaining contestants have a lot of work to do in order to try and knock her off the top of the leaderboard.

Which is YOUR favorite pair competing on season 24 of Dancing With the Stars? Which team do you think had the best dance? Let me know on Twitter (@desireemurphy_ ) or in the comments section on our official Facebook page! And be sure to follow all of our DWTS coverage all season long, right here on ETonline.com.

WATCH: Sharna Burgess and Bonner Bolton React to 'DWTS' Elimination, Len Goodman's Harsh Comments

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'Dancing With the Stars' Week 5 Dance Recap: Best Lifts, Kicks, Tricks and Flips!

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Dancing With the Stars' Disney Night did not disappoint!

From Normani Kordei and Val Chmerkovskiy's badass Paso Doble inspired by Mulan, to Sharna Burgess' adorably fun Wreck-It Ralph choreography for Bonner Bolton, the stars showed off their playful sides for a truly magical Monday in the ballroom.

Now, ET's breaking down the best moves from week five of the dance competition show!

WATCH: Val Chmerkovskiy Says Maksim Will 'Have to Keep Up' When He Returns to 'Dancing With the Stars'

Rashad Jennings & Emma Slater, Foxtrot to "Evermore" from Beauty and the Beast

Dance highlight: While Emma's choreography was breathtaking once again, the true highlight began at the 1:19 mark, when Rashad assisted his partner into two beautiful spins on the floor, one in which he was holding only her right arm and leg. A delightful, strong way to end the routine, coming off their nearly perfect score from last week's Most Memorable Year Night. Judges' score: 32/40. "I haven't seen you dance a bad dance, and we're halfway through." - Len Goodman ET's score: 35/40. Classic, timeless and beautifully done -- Rashad was a gentle beast on the dance floor, and let's not forget this man is a running back! We're giving him a few extra points for his charm and gracefulness. Pulling off a dance this elegant is no easy feat. Celebrity/fan reaction:

Nick Viall & Peta Murgatroyd, Jazz to "I've Got No Strings" from Pinocchio

Dance highlight: Props to Peta for this incredibly cute choreography, and Nick for owning the spirited character! Our favorite moments happened at the 0:44 and 0:57 marks, when he danced with a cane and surprised us with the can-can. Judges' score: 34/40. "You were living and loving the moment. There is something new happening here. Follow it up!" - Bruno Tonioli ET's score: 34/40. #TeamBabyGotBack was in jeopardy for the second week in a row, but after this dance, the former Bachelor proved his place in the competition. It was refreshing to see Nick's playful, goofy side in the ballroom, and it's clear he's improving. Celebrity/fan reaction:

Erika Jayne & Gleb Savchenko, Viennese Waltz to "Unforgettable" from Finding Dory

Dance highlight: Kicking off the magical dance with a solo from Erika, the routine was filled with sprightly movements, including a back attitude spin at the 1:12 mark, and a beautiful dip at 1:04. We love that Gleb sprinkled these surprises in throughout the piece, and Erika made them flow ever so perfectly. "Unforgettable," for sure! Judges' score: 32/40. "Because you opened your heart, all of your lines were elongated -- bigger and more beautiful. Forget princesses, you are a queen!" - Carrie Ann Inaba ET's score: 35/40. A true breakthrough piece for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, but unfortunately, a little too late as the two were the fourth pair to be eliminated this season on Monday. Regardless, Erika was full of grace and left her heart on the dance floor, and for that, we think #TeamPrettyXxpensive deserved a few extra points. Celebrity/fan reaction:

Heather Morris & Maksim Chmerkovskiy/Alan Bersten, Jazz to "For the First Time in Forever" from Frozen

Dance highlight: Heather "Let It Go" 100% during her Frozen-themed dance, making her way onto the judges' table at the 0:35 mark and into a trust fall. The other highlight was a perfectly executed back arch lift, which you can watch at 1:10. Judges' score: 34/40. "It's Disney night, it's a fun night, and you definitely brought out fun, so, well done." - Len Goodman ET's score: 36/40. We think the judges were way too hard on the former Glee star and her fill-in partner, Alan -- this routine encapsulated the essence of Disney Night perfectly, and Heather brought the playfulness. Sure, it wasn't the most difficult choreography we've seen Heather master, but we loved Maksim's vision. Celebrity/fan reaction:

Bonner Bolton & Sharna Burgess, Tango to "When Can I See You Again?" from Wreck-It Ralph

Dance highlight: Who knew Wreck-It Ralph could tango? Bonner and Sharna mastered their characters, delivering a joyful ballroom experience. Although there weren't too many tricks, it was entertaining, nonetheless, and you can tell Bonner is getting more comfortable leading Sharna across the stage. Judges' score: 30/40. "I saw you come to life. You had the character, you embodied it, and you really nailed the tango!" - Julianne Hough ET's score: 34/40. Extra points for creativity! This was one of the most fun dances of the night, and had us smiling the entire time. We also have to give major props to Bonner for attempting those fast neck movements the tango requires, which we know were not easy due to the surgeries he's had from his near-fatal bull riding accident last January. Celebrity/fan reaction:

Normani Kordei & Val Chmerkovskiy, Paso Doble to "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from Mulan

Dance highlight: So fierce, so powerful, so intense! We counted -- the Fifth Harmony star rocked six insanely strong high kicks in this number, busting them out with no hesitation. Judges' score: 39/40. "Your voice, your dance just showed every little girl out there that you can do ANYTHING you want. Woo! That is what that's about." - Julianne Hough ET's score: 40/40. This will go down as one of the most memorable dances this season, no doubt! #TeamValmani stepped up their game this week, setting the bar even higher for the weeks to come. The remaining contestants are really going to have to put in work in rehearsals if they want any chance at beating this powerhouse of a pair. Celebrity/fan reaction:

David Ross & Lindsay Arnold, Jive to "Ride" from Cars 3

Dance highlight: This routine moved as fast as a race car, thanks to the great performance factor Lindsay and David brought to the ballroom. We especially loved the quick kicks combo (starting at the 0:36 mark), and the moment at 1:10 where David appeared to be playing Lindsay like a guitar. Judges' score: 29/40. "You did not miss a step. Well done with that. You were IN it!" - Carrie Ann Inaba ET's score: 34/40. Like a few of the other pairs, we felt #TeamLadyAndTheGramp received very low, unfair scores from the judges. We appreciate Lindsay for amping up her choreography this season, challenging David to showcase new moves each and every week to keep their partnership strong and entertaining. The former MLB pro did not hold back, and we think he has what it takes to make it pretty far in the competition! Celebrity/fan reaction:

Nancy Kerrigan & Artem Chigvintsev, Jazz to "That's How You Know" from Enchanted

Dance highlight: It's hard to pinpoint just one highlight from this beautifully choreographed routine by Artem, as it was impossible to keep our eyes off Nancy's every move. She was so elegant and incredibly light on her feet, not to mention, she really did look like a real-life princess. Get a glimpse at the 0:56 mark! Judges' score: 36/40. "So much goodness ... you held your own, center of attention. You were just leading the number!" - Bruno Tonioli ET's score: 36/40. We agree with the judges on this scoring -- Nancy was the center of attention, and nailed this dance. She's been strong since the beginning of the competition, but getting even better week by week. As long as she can maintain her confidence out there in the ballroom, we know she'll place just fine this season. Celebrity/fan reaction:

Simone Biles & Sasha Farber, Contemporary to "How Far I'll Go" from Moana

Dance highlight: Ummm, where do we start?! We love that Sasha really let Simone showcase her athleticism with this dance, jam-packing the routine with gymnastics tricks. Beginning the dance with gorgeous soutenu turns, the piece wowed us from beginning to end, with a powerful lift into at backflip at 0:32, a surprise jump at 0:38, front flip off Sasha at 1:03 and flawless switch leap at 1:06. Judges' score: 38/40. "My lovely little goddess." - Bruno Tonioli ET's score: 39/40. This almighty number deserved an almost-perfect score in our opinion! Our only advice to Simone would be to work on the flow of her movements -- at some points, the transitions feel a bit forced (yes, we're being a little extra tough on her this week, only because we know she's capable of GOLD). Celebrity/fan reaction:

Who are YOUR favorites competing on season 24 of Dancing With the Stars? Which team do you think had the best dance? Let me know on Twitter (@desireemurphy_ ) or in the comments section on our official Facebook page! And be sure to follow all of our DWTS coverage all season long, right here on ETonline.com.

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