#[though the song does pick up and change vibes about halfway through LOL still really stellar vibes tho]

[suddenly-stickmin]

Helicopter stick with some helicopter seeds :]

Song: Welcome to Towers [Creaks OST]

[reineyday]

geraskier zoom conference hc's based on that 'and they were video conferencing' post

(this has turned into a fic in point-form oops; also it's more pre-slash 'cuz this quarantine is ongoing and i don't have any specific ideas about how a relationship discussion would go or be handled over zoom haha)

it starts as a group conference call between yennefer and triss and jaskier and geralt probably because yen and triss and geralt run some sort of small business and they need jaskier for something artistic probably (he's a freelancer)

let's say they have some sort of start-up to do with children's education somehow, inspired by ciri, and they want to start a small educational web series and they want music in each episode and so hire jaskier as a composer

geralt is in charge of episode content because this web series is gonna be about mythology and he has a masters in it and has done a fair amount of traveling for it (and lowkey has been learning about different kinds of myrhs and legends and heroes and monsters all his life alongside swordfighting thanks vesemir)

ANYWAYS at first they just talk about work: geralt knows which myths he wants to talk about and how, but can't quite come up with a good narrative because he has a bad tendency to ramble on about very precise specific details that get boring, and he also doesnt know how to set the tone for children despite having one himself

jaskier suggests they make the show centre around a hero that is a witcher who goes off on adventures meeting all these creatures, and jaskier already has some fun ideas for songs

jaskier thinks geralt isnt very forthcoming but he's clearly interested in the project and there's excitement in his eyes when he says ciri will like something they write together

geralt also gets kind of moody about inaccuracies (like a nerd 'cuz he is one lol), and jaskier thinks it's funny and likes to pull his leg by saying they should just change this detail or that detail and that he's allowed bc he's the composer and he's taking creative liberties

about three zoom meetings in, they decide the witcher should have a horse and jaskier says they should give it a name and geralt says "roach" and jaskier laughs and asks about cockroaches and geralt looks... petulant??? and says there are fish called roach too and he meant the fish, and jaskier feels fond and relents and says yes fine the horse's name is "roach"

the next video call they have, they start talking again about work and jaskier's trying not to focus too much on the fact that geralt has shown up with his hair braided but goodness it makes him look softer with the way it pulls back and some strands of hair escape to frame his face

geralt eventually notices and hmms his questioning hmm (and when did jaskier start distinguishing the difference?) and when jask asks about the braid, geralt's face goes EVEN SOFTER and says ciri can't practice braiding on her friends' hair at school anymore so she practices with him and jaskier's like "well fuck that's it this is it ive never even seen him in person but here we are this is a crush oh shit"

the first time geralt laughs is because in one of their meetings, jaskier decided he was gonna be chill and wear a work shirt but just his boxers with stupid cartoon pizzas on them, amd he feels so comfortsble he forgets he's just wesring his underwrar 'till he gets up to grab his acoustic guitar and geralt sounds like he was startled into laughter and yeah, that's right, he's wearing stupid boxers and he flushes but geralt looks pretty amused and jaskier did that so he's not too embarrassed

halfway through the session after that, where jaskier has given up on slightly professional looking clothes but has committed to wearing something over his boxers at all times, he hears some barking and he sees a german shepherd's nose enter the bottom of the frame by geralt's arm

jaskier is obviously like YOU HAVE A DOG and geralt explains ciri usually plays with him during their meetings but they decided to go earlier that day and when jaskier asks what the dog's name is, geralt pauses and looks a cross between irritated and embarassed and then says "roach"

jaskier laughs and laughs and geralt just looks on stoically and it's not on his mouth but jaskier can see the pout in his eyes, but after he's done laughing, all he says is, "like the fish" and geralt smiles a tiny smile and shakes his head and jaskier's a goner, truly

one day, jaskier is caught on trying to find the perfect wording and chord progression for one of the episodes, and focuses on his guitar and keyboard for a while as he toys with this key and that rhyme, and when he looks up, geralt is in a kitchen putting on tea and mixing something in a pot and it's an hour past when they usually hang up

"you could have stopped me, you know?" jaskier asks, but geralt looks at him and hmms and jaskier feels all warm goddammit

he tells jaskier to go take a break and jaskier obliges and brings his laptop to his kitchen and they kind of just have tea together for twenty minutes before something dings and geralt has to go 'cuz it's dinner time for him and ciri

the next meeting, geralt shows up and his daughter's there in the background and she has hair like geralt's and a sunshine personality the complete opposite of geralt (though they both give off disintguished kinds of vibes)

jaskier is charmed; she's a great cheerleader and a wonderful person to run ideas by especially considering she's the target age group for their show, and when she makes a comment about how she wishes she could play the ukulele she got as a gift two years ago, jaskier brightens up and says he can teach her

now jaskier zoom calls a little earlier so ciri can have a short ukulele lesson before his work meeting with geralt, and it's so nice whenever he hears ciri practicing off to the side or roach barking from out of the frame and jaskier wonders what it would be like to truly be in the house with them

the next meeting after, they go a bit too long again bc they were arguing (well, jaslier was actually pulling geralt's leg some more, to be honest, but he can't help it if that's how he flirts), and ciri shows up and says it's time for food and when jaskier says he'll leave them to it, ciri suggests he just stay on amd they can eat together

geralt doesn't immediately say no and actually seems to be waiting for jaskier's answer so jaskier says yeah okay, and he grabs some food and they all have dinner together and they get to talking and jakier and ciri bond over disney movies and ciri says she wants to watch them together the three of them and yennefer and triss

the watch party happens and over zoom yennefer seems deeply amused the entire time and triss keeps giggling and geralt seems extra annoyed for some reason but jaskier enjoys himself and sings along to the movie and he tries not to imagine sitting right next to geralt on his couch on the side not occupied by his daughter

jaskier wakes up with a headache very close to their meeting time one day, and kind of just opens his laptop while he's lying in bed and opens the window to wait for geralt to start the meeting while he reaches over to get his ukulele 'cuz it's the closest instrument to his bed and the easiest on his brain when it's pounding like this

when he settles back against his headbkard and pillows once more, geralt is looking at him with a frown and asks if he's feeling okay, to which jaskier replies he's fine it's not covid he just gets headaches every now and then and it sucks but he can still compose (and he shakes his lil uke at the camera)

geralt says no he should sleep and when jaskier pouts he says he's going to sit here and wait for jaskier to put down the damn ukulele and drink some water and eat a granola bar and then tuck himself back into bed and he looks all fierce about it while he says it and how can jaskier not lug his laptop around while he does these things and fall a little more in love

eventually it becomes totally normal for jaskier to just hang out for long stretches of time, whether or not they talk about their witcher web series, and they cook together and hang out in their pajamas and jaskier and ciri have their music lessons and their disney nights and geralt even starts getting him to work out during some of their work breaks by doing 8 minuts abs

(jaskier was pretty adamant about not exercising but said he's do it just the one time but after 8 minutes of pain, geralt was flushed and kind of sweaty and said he needed to chamge his shirt anf then just took it off right there on the camera before he walked out frame to grab a new one and jaskier had to rush to pick his jaw off the floor before going to change out of his own sweaty clothes and yeah so he does 8 minute abs with geralt sometimes now)

once, geralt sends him a zoom link for a meeting at 2am on a night when jaskier can't fall asleep (his sleeping schedule's been so fucked since quarantine started) and when jaskier joins him, he looks like hell and he apologizes but when jaskier says he probably won't sleep for another three hours anyways, geralt looks the tiniest bit grateful and asks if they can work so they do, and if jaskier writes a song that's a little more like a lullabye dyring their meeting, and feels like his heart is about to burst when geralt, who'd moved from his desk to his couch, nods off while jaskier softly sings to him, well... jaskier doesn't know what to do with himself after he makes sure geralt is properly sleeping and then leaves the zoom meeting

they work and work and really get to know each other and then, all of a sudden, there are no more songs to be written for their witcher series and jaskier says "that's the last song, i think" and geralt hmms but neither of them hangs up

jaskier bites his lip and says, "i'll see you at the team meeting we'll have with yennefer and triss to wrap up my contract, i guess?"

and geralt says, "you should add me on facebook; we should keep in touch for future projects"

jaskier tries not to feel too bummed out because this is still a connection point and also yay more creative projects with the hot man he is probably definitely in love with and also potentially more money! but he's still a little bummed and then he decides if he's going to feel bummed he should at least do something about it and he says, "i will! you know facebook has video chat too"

and geralt hmms again but there's definitely a smile, and it's even an actual smile! "im aware," he says, and then before he hangs up the zoom call he looks stern and adds, "dont forget about ciri's ukulele lessons" and honestly jaskier wasn't expecting to continue with them but he's relieved they can still keep doing those

he shoots geralt that friend request and sates the need to scroll down his wall by going through geralt's past previous profile photos instead (they're usually of him and ciri and they're adorable)

and then, delight of delights, the next day around when they usually have their meeting, there's a video chat request from one geralt of rivia coming through facebook, and even more delightful: geralt's clearly on his phone and he only waits on the screen long enough to make sure jaskier's there and to give him a quirked eyebrow and a trademark hmm before he turns the camera around and jaskier is treated to an outside view and a walk with geralt and roach via mobile

and thus geralt becomes a fixture of his every day life

[nebulous-wanderings]

ALIVE Stage Episode 1 Report

I was able to go to the first four performances of Ivesta Episode 1 from May 15 to 17! I won’t spoil the story or any plot points, but I will be talking about some funny moments, the daily (higawari) scenes, the curtain calls, and the dance live. These will be behind the cut. I’ll cover the things I mentioned in my twitter thread and more~ Sorry for any typos, I typed this on my phone on the plane ride home.

Synposis:

The cast of Episode 1 consists of Growth, ZIX, and some original characters. This play focuses on Mamoru and was a great introductory show for Ivesta. It was a good mix of comedy and low-stakes drama, so it was lighthearted (although some people did cry when it got heartwarming and wholesome). The main motifs were wisteria flowers (Mamo’s family name contains the kanji for wisteria = 藤) and Growth’s tagline in their logo, “Let us go singing as far as we go, the road will be less tedious.”

TLDR: You should buy the BD/DVD when it comes out because Ivesta is so wholesome and the dances are super impressive, unlike anything Tsukista or SQS has done before. The acting was good and it’s a great into to Growth!

The Stage Design:

It was a relatively small theater, but that meant any seat was a good seat to view the stage. The stage itself was kind of trapezoidal shaped because it’s tucked into (what would be) the corner of the venue space. The stage had a lot of tiers and stairs, but the main flat area was large enough for the dances. It was also pretty close to the seating level, only about 2ft off the ground. Since the first row was only 4ft from the edge of the stage, those people sitting in front wouldn’t have to tilt their necks up to view the stage.

The Acting:

I’m not a native Japanese speaker so I can’t fully judge the acting/intonation but it wasn’t cheesy or bad! Some of the backup dancers actually played characters in the play part, and their acting was good.

Ishiwaka Sho was a cute and peppy Kensuke! His voice is also surprisingly high, just like Yamayan’s, so it fit the character perfectly. He talked kind of fast during the MC parts and also would forget it was his turn during the MC, so I would say he was the most nervous that I could tell. Mitani Reo as Ryota was amazing! At first I thought he didn’t fit Ryota’s look that much (I had high expectations since Ryou is my favorite member) but I’ve gotten used to seeing him as Ryou, and his acting is ON POINT. He plays up the bitter/sarcastic parts of Ryou so well and is hilarious. Shiozawa Hidemasa was a calm and collected Koki, but I could tell he wanted to act out of character more since Kou is a very subdued person. For example, he always had a lot of fun in the higawari parts which I’ll talk about later. He was a great leader and had command of the crowd as a leader should. Iwasa Yuki made the stage Mamoru a very puppy dog-like and happy person. Personally, I always thought of Mamo as a more reserved person, but Yuki would always be waving really cutely to the crowds with a big smile. As the main character of the play, Yuki did an amazing job and I’m looking forward to how he’ll play Mamoru in the future!

The Dancing:

Let me just start by saying Ivesta has some of the most technical and complicated dancing in all of Tsukista/SQ Stage. Even the solos all had proper choreo with footwok and wasn’t just the usual waving/walking around like Tsukista has. I’m so glad I got to see the dancing live be sure it was amazing. When the disc version comes out I want to learn the dances because they’re legit. The dancing is characterized by a lot of hand/wrist movements, leaping, and grace.

The play started with a mini live where Growth performed the short versions of “Mahou no Kizuna” and “Fushichou no Nebula” then ZIX performed “Brilliant” and “BML.” This was ZIX’s only dance performance since they’re not in the dance live. Their songs have that edgy/sexy vibe and the dances mirrored that perfectly.

The setlist for the dance live was as follows: “Mahou no Kizuna”, “My Gloria,” MC, “Rada Kiana,” “Jiyuu no Tori,” “Planetaria,” “Amaki Kaze no Primula,” “Lila no Shirabe,” “Re:raise,” “Lucretia,” MC, and “Parallel Lineage.” (That’s all the songs but I may have switched the order of one of the unit songs)

I raved about the overall dancing already, so I’ll just point out some specific stuff. Reo is the best dancer out of the other three Growth members, not that any of the other guys are bad, but he has way more experience. He’s been a dancer for a while and is the main dancer in his idol group. My favorite performance is “Rada Kiana.” It starts with the spotlight shining on each member in succession while they do some solo moves and it looks really cool. It had some salsa-like hand and hip movements that fit the tone of the song. The “la da di la” parts also have amazing hand movements and Hide’s expressions during that part we’re so sultry~

Another memorable song is “Jiyuu no Tori,” especially the outro (around 3:53 of the song) where they do some contemporary hip-hop stuff when the beat is really kicking in. Reo was amazingggg!! Look out for him in this part of the song on the disc cuz damn, you’ll be impressed.

—————-

From here on, I’ll be relying on the list of memorable parts I wrote in my Twitter thread and try to elaborate on them. It will contain spoilers about some scenes!

General:

They do the lightning crackle effect when Ryota and Mitsuru are starting each other down on the TV program (just like in the anime)

Mamoru inhales (huffs) his pachira to give him strength and energy, then Ryou and Ken walk in like “wtf are you doing” lol.

Mitsuru refers to Ryota as the “Sakuraba-rrier” (get it? sakura barrier?) since he protects Koki (Ryou’s last name is Sakuraba), and Mitsuru’s nickname for Kensuke is “Yaegashi Ken” and does little doggie paws since “Ken” can also mean “dog.”

Each Growth member eventually receives a head pat from Koki at different points in the play

Mamo’s headpat scene is where Kou is trying to reassure him and their faces were so close - I’m pretty sure all the Kou/Mamo people in the audience got nosebleeds. Ken breaks it up though by saying something like “now’s not the time for the story about the dog and his master.” xD

For some reason, the MC before the final song never goes perfectly lmao. Either Sho will forget to say his line or they get sidetracked lol.

The Growth call and response they came up with for the stage play was to repeat the flower/plant-based kanji that’s in their names. Mamo and Kou have 藤 (fuji/wisteria), Ken has 樫 (kashi/evergreen), and Ryota has 桜 (sakura/cherry blossom). Then at the end, Kou says “Fan no minna to-” and the audience responds “issho ni Growth!” (“Together with all the fans, let’s grow!”)

May 15, Evening:

The higawari is about Mamoru going to the Lost and Found at a train station to look for his phone. The person playing the station attendant and the 2 guests change each show. For the first show, it was Reo/Ryou as the station attendant. One of the props he pulled out from the lost and found bin was a basketball and Reo got to show off his hidden talent of being able to spin and hold basketball on his fingertip. He even transferred the spinning ball to Yuki/Mamo’s hand~ The two guests were Sho/Ken and Hide/Kou as street performances. Sho kept yelling at Mamoru about soul music and then pulled out some buckets to play the drums on (he was really good!)

During the last song, the cast all go out into the aisles and do the usual high-touches and waves. I was sitting one seat in from the aisle, and Yuki came down and touched my hand!! Unfortunately I missed Reo who came from the back doors…

The first show’s curtain call had each Growth member say a message. Sho went but forgot to introduce himself and mention his name - he went straight to “thanks for coming today,” etc. So when he finished and it was Reo’s turn, Reo said “How can I go when this guy didn’t even say who he is?” Then at the end, Hide forgot to pause so everyone could say “arigatou gozaimasu” together so halfway through him saying it himself he stopped and was like “wait…” lol.

May 16, Afternoon:

This higawari had Hide/Kou as the station attendant. One of the props was a plunger, and I forget if there was another prop or not. The guests were Takuto/Makoto from ZIX and two of the original characters. They had sunglasses and suits on and were some kind of dancers. I’m not 100% sure what they were referencing, maybe that World Order dance group?

May 16, Evening:

I sat in the second row for this performance and it was so close to the stage! During one performance of Mamo’s solo, “Re:raise,” the bead sash that’s draped over his left shoulder ripped off from being whipped around and the beads spilled out onto the stage. It happened right at the “Zenzen…” line of the last chorus since he has a move where he turns his shoulder really quickly. Even though I was super close to the stage nothing hit me, but I think some beads could have hit the people in front of me. Yuki and the dancers kept going as usual, so that was good. I was just afraid someone might trip since the beads were round. After Mamo’s solo the rest of Growth comes out to do “Lucretia,” and I could see them eyeing the beads a little while taking their places. After that is the MC and after saying his lines Hide went to tell someone backstage about the beads (his mic was still on a little lol). The dancers came out and started to pick up the beads while Growth continued the MC. One of them even used a small vacuum lmao. Growth were joking around about it though, and no one got hurt so things continued as normal. After the show I picked up one of the beads that hadn’t gotten cleaned up from the floor:

The higawari was Ryou as the station attendant again. The first prop was a notebook that he called the “Ikemen Note” (like Death Note). If you write someone’s name inside they become an ikemen. Ryou wrote Mamo’s name inside and then Mamo acted all ikemen-like until Ryou was like “nevermind, it’s not real” lol. The second prop was a foam sword and Ryou acted like a clothing store workers saying, “This is a size small, it’ll look good on you!” The guests were ZIX in their animal fur suits (the costume they wear when doing that fortune telling segment on TV). Makoto had Mitsuri on a leash, but I couldn’t hear what they said they were exactly. Makoto kept trying to get Mitsuru to talk, but he mostly made animal noises lol. Then they played a game with Ryou and Mamo (not sure of the name). Basically everyone crouches with their head down and they take turns guessing how many of the four of them will stand up. When the person guessing calls out, the other players decide if they want to stand or stay crouched. If the person guesses the right number of people standing they win. Only Mitsuru was able to guess correctly because he said “1 person” and he was the only one that stood up lol.

During the last song, I was able to get another high touch from Yuki (this time with my other hand lol). I wasn’t even sitting in the aisle, I was 4 seats in, but he gave high touches to everyone on my left and was about to turn away but I decided to reach out too~ Then he saw me and reached over to give me a high touch~

That night it was Reo’s turn to do a curtain call message. He said he loves the story and the message of Episode 1. He tried really hard not to tear up and stopped to compose himself. Hide even gave Reo a small hug every time he stopped, but eventually the tears came… Reo said he wasn’t expecting to tear up like that, but he’s super happy to be able to be in Ivesta. (Y'all I can’t believe I got to see Reo cry from that close lol)

May 17, Afternoon:

This was the last performance I saw. The higawari had Kou as the station attendant, but I forget what props he had that time. The guests were one of the original characters plus Shoon wearing glasses and lab coats. They said they were from the “Kyun Lab” or something. Their segment consisted of saying a comforting line to Shoon who acts as someone worried about something, and the point is to be heartwarming and make their heart “kyun” (squeeze). The side cast member said an example line, then Mamo went and said something like “Don’t worry because I’ll always be by your side” and it was cute. Then Hide/Kou, who had been just sitting and watching, gets dragged to his feet by the other guys. He doesn’t want to do it and was like “yada yada~” but the audience cheered him on. I don’t think he was prepared or expecting to have to say a cute line too lol. I forgot what the line started with, but he ended with “I’ll give you a hug” and hugged Shoon from the back.

ZIX was in charge of the curtain call and we’re really cool. It was nice to be able to hear from Takuto and Riki. Takuto then suggested Hide should do ZIX’s cutesy/embarrassing fortune telling pose and Hide was like “uhhhh” but of course the audience wanted to see that so he said yes. Riki told him to choose another Growth cast member to do the pose with and OF COURSE he picked Reo (cuz Ryota hates ZIX lol). Reo tried to walk off stage saying “oh look, it’s time for me to go” but the other cast stopped him lol. Hide and Reo reluctantly said the line ZIX says which is something like “Happy ni naremasu you ni, sunny na egao de lucky day ♪” and did the pose. The sound board staff even played the little sparkle sound that plays when ZIX does the pose on TV lmao. Reo looked up to the 2nd floor where the sound board was and was like “you better watch yourself” lol.

After the final bow when Growth says their last goodbyes, Reo took his glove off with his teeth before disappearing backstage and the crowd went WILD (including me). Yuki was like “umm idk how to follow that…” but did his usual cute Mamoru waves and had a big smile. Sho had left the stage first so he didn’t see the glove thing lol. Hide was the last to leave. He stuck his hand inside his jacket and “pulled out” a finger heart which was cute~

[fadeoftheinternet]

Fall Out Boy Mania, 1 Listen Review

Guys, I’m not gonna lie, I was a little worried about Fall Out Boy after Champion came out last year. I didn’t think the album was sounding as good as it could be. When they announced it was being pushed back to make a better product, it was as though my heart could beat again. I’ve heard the singles and was a little bummed when the album was only 10 songs. That’s short and to the point without a lot of room for error. So how did they do? 

Below is my Mania 1 listen Review!

Young and Menace. I understand why it’s so divisive in the fanbase, but I freaking LOVE THIS SONG. It’s a jam. Patrick Stump definitely is beginning the album with the same opening pomp as the last two fall out boy offerings. As an opener, it makes total sense. The placement gives you the feeling that this album is going to be a journey. For a song that’s nearly a year old, it sounds fresh. It’s not dated even though it probably should be. The Patrifications during the last minute of the song sound even better with the context that this is a palette cleansing album while also giving you vintage fall out boy. Plus, I love Andy’s drums!

Next up is Champion. Now, those of you who heard my first reaction know that I wasn’t a really big fan of Champion when it first came out. I felt like it was an easy ESPN pick up. I understand it’s place. It sounds natural coming after YAM. It keeps the energy. I still love the champion for the people who don’t believe in champions line. I can’t listen to the song without imagining it being retroactively added to a Rocky montage. Sylvester Stallone, this is the Balboa anthem you’ve been waiting for. For all you gym junkies and those that are just trying to reach 30 steps without breaking into a sweat, Champion is for you

Third song and first non single. Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea. Now that’s a title. I was like, am I missing something? Is this like a Sugar Honey Iced Tea situation? I was like SFRMT doesn’t mean anything. Oh well, lemme listen to the song. WHOA!!! I wasn’t ready for that intro. Holy crap. Early favorite. The vocals sound like Brendon Urie was in the studio and Patrick was trying to show him who’s boss. ARE YOU SMELLIN THE ——. Okay this chorus meant to be screamed by fresh faced teenagers who still believe in emo. “ALL MY CHILDHOOD HEROES HAVE FALLEN OFF OR DIED!” GFD PETE YOU KILLT EM THAT’S A DISS TRACK. This nigga Pat is singing in French. oh shoot. This song feels like, OH SHOOT BREAKDOWN, it feels like what I imagine elevator music on Planet Cybertron sounds like. Man, don’t let Michael Bay hear this song or it’ll be in the next ill fated Transformers movie. Dang, freaking jam.

Hold Me Tight or Don’t. OK. By far my favorite of the music videos released. Oh wait, Wilson is dope AF though. I like the bounce to this album. Initial reactions are I was right about this album sounding like Infinity on High mixed with ABAP. OF YOUUUUUU OF YOUUUUU. Dang, thats a freaking chorus. I imagine white girls everywhere singing to their friends, heads bobbing side to side, “Hold me tight….or don’t.” Yeah this song feels like the one that made the label believe again. BUT WE ALWAYS BELIEVED BECAUSE BELIEVERS NEVER DIE! Dang I took too many hits off this memory is a bar. Pete you haven’t lost your pen game. Nigga out here penning Drake songs nowadays. This song is anthemic. These dudes just know how to craft a sing a long. PATRICK IS THERE NO NOTE OUTSIDE OF YOUR RANGE GFD DUDE. Andy, you are a star with the drums, but let me not sleep on Joe’s guitar work. This song has you singing the chorus before you’re even done with the first listen. Definition of an ear worm. I imagine this is going to be a bonus song on Pixar’s Coco

Halfway through and FOB drops my favorite of the pre album singles. This song makes me feel like I’m driving in Las Vegas with college friends and making memories we’ll look back on. Dang. Windows are definitely down. That bass. Pete’s not just a writer, he’s got the groove on this song. CAUSE YOU’RE THE LAST OF A DYING BREED I WONDER IF YOUR THERAPIST KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT ME. Oh man, is this a love song in the most FOB kind of way? Don’t let anyone tell them they don’t use real instruments anymore. I am a collapsing star with tunnel vision, but only for you. What does that even mean? No one knows what it means but it’s provocative. Patrick, you can’t expect to be singing all of these live right? Like your voice will be shot. That guitar riff has me like, “nananananaaaaa” The bridges on this album have me like, “ooh issa bop.” I can’t even sing a long to fall out boy songs anymore. I just gotta shut up and hear Pat wail.

Wilson. Okay, have ya’ll seen the video? It’s great. such a meme. now honestly, i hate the way that this song begins. I just hate the vocal melody. But after the second talkin about i’m all in. This song was meant to be put in a California Hot Topic, you know the kind where it’s all emo but everyone is West Coast beautiful? That darker color line is going to be some angsty teen’s senior quote. Do people still need to find someone to teach them how to Dougie? Because this song has that level of groove to it. It’s the same type of style as like an America’s Suitehearts, in the sense of a dense chorus with a great rock to it. Man, after this album, i gotta say, it might be time to bust out the black eyeliner again. Man, i gotta find my skiniest jeans and shrink them again. This album, upon the first 6 songs, is better than ABAP. Wow. HITS. And then the ending is gorgeous

Church. TAKE ME TO CHURCH MAKE ME CATCH THAT HOLY GHOST. They got the organs. Ooh is this a love song? WHOA OKAY PAT. Okay, this song is big but probably my least favorite of the ones so far, however that may be due to the familiarity i have with the previous 6. Just not a lot of lyrical change. But this is Patrick pushing his voice to it’s limits. Okay the second half isbetter OH MY FREAKING GOSH THE INSTURMENTS JUST WENT OUT AND PATRICK SNAPPED AND SINGLE HANDEDLY SAVED THIS SONG I WILL COME BACK TO THIS SONG WOW. PATRIFICATION CONFIRMED THE FALL OUT BOY MACHINE AIN’T BROKE IF YOU WERE CHURCH I’D GET ON MY KNEES CONFIRMED

Heaven’s Gate? Hmm….they must have ran into some of them LDS missionaries. Ooh we got ourselves a what a catch slow jams patrick soul song. have ya’ll seen the meme of the woman jammin? imagine Leslie Knope jamming at a black church. That describes how i feel about this song. This song could have been on the end of a SUPER strong episode of One Tree Hill. Like it’s a coda where a bunch of stuff happens. I like the guitar pan to the right ear. It’s good. I’m not really sure what pat is singing, but I am enjoying it. Patrick sings like a baptist confirmed. PATRICK WHAT DO YOU NEED LET ME GIVE YOU THE BOOST. Oh man, is this a choir coming??? Oh yes, ya’ll are going to be listening to Heaven’s Gate for a while. This is the one that is gonna get you through hard days in the future. This is a song to save someone’s life.

Sunshine Riptide (feat. Burna Boy). Rap feature? Maybe? Lol the opening line made me laugh. Nigga hit a missy elliot. you’ll get it. There’s a lot of things going on auditory wise. Okay, this song was made during the same time as Hold Me Tight or Don’t. Actually it also gives me the same vibes as Champion too? Whoa, it’s a rasta feature. Oh man, YA’LL NEED TO GET CHANCE THE RAPPER ON THE REMIX GOOD GOD THAT FEATURE JUST PUT ME IN THAT MOOD I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SAY THAT OH SHOOT, THESE NIGGAS TRY BE FALL OUT THE BOYS. I’m a fan of this one. Ya’ll tryna get a nigga to find his XD emoticons and band tees for the last warped tour. Too bad all the singles have been released because this song feels like it’s begging to be put on a CW show like 90210 or Arrow trailer. HIT.

Bishops Knife Trick. Okay Fetzer, what you got for us? It’s the final song and I feel like I’ve been on a nonstop ride the whole time. Soulful pat? Wasn’t ready for it. It’s also the longest song on the album, clocking in at 4:23. This song sounds like, I can’t believe I’m gonna say what i’m gonna say, it sounds like the album that would have been made in between IOH and SRAR if the others didn’t exist. It’s like both. You won’t get it until you hear it. This is a thoughtful song. I need to listen to the album again with the lyrics so i can appreciate this song more. Patrick’s voice is an instrument. He’s not a singer in the conventional sense. Sometimes his words don’t sound like words. Dang, don’t let this album end. Don’t let it end. Don’t let it end. The last song flows into Young and Menace. Wow, ya’ll did you fast. Fall out boy, is the knife trick ya’ll revitalizing your sound and your fanbase? Because you most certainly have.

8/10 album. Church was the weakest song on the album, Heaven’s gate was the most meaningful and arguably the strongest

[wearejustvisiting]

HUMANZ review.

Before we begin, now is a good time to talk the politics of the alum. Many of the references to situations may seem outdated or played out, but you have to remember, this album didn't start production until 2014. Some of these songs are seriously YEARS old. So b sure not to judge the album for any recent political messages that you may consider "Outdated" because, technically, they're not.

1: I turned my robot off: Nobody cares, moby...nobody cares.

2: Ascension (Feat. Vince Staples): Good production, though I expect no less from a band like Gorillaz. Uses some unique effects that I haven't heard since Demon days, and Staples' feature is pretty sick. GLAD TO HEAR THAT CHORUS BACK.

3: Stroblite (Feat. Peven Everett): Kinda dull to start off with, sounds kinda like an overproduced track from G Sides. Everett sounds like every other british singer to me, I'm sorry, but it's not super unique. Not saying they're bad, just nothing to write home about. But damn, is that a catchy chorus. Maybe Gorillaz should just do commercials. Damon Albarn doesn't even have to pretend he's in the band at that point

4: Saturn Barz (Feat. Popcaan): Really good sample, strong beat, and I love the keyboard used in the song. But the production is a bit overdone. Autotune CAN be used as a stylistic thing, sure, but that doesn't always mean it sounds good. Popcaan does fine with it, but I would be interested in hearing it without him. And hey, Albarn actually SINGS on this song. CONSISTENTLY. The choir is also good, but I heard them do the same thing on Demon Days.

5: Momentz (Feat. De La Soul): De La Soul is an obvious choice. He's basically IN Gorillaz. The vocal modulation on MOMENTZ is awesome, and got me amped. But the kick drum threw my excitement riiiight off my back. It falls into the 22 DEATHBREAST trap of being too loud and percussive. De La Soul can rap, and i never questioned his ability, so that's obviously not too big of a deal. It's like saying 'hey, that really good mathematician can do MATH!' Other than that really, REALLY fun vocal modulation, it sounds a biit too much like Ke$ha in the first half. But the second half with the chorus reminds me of Dirty Harry. From...you guessed it, Demon Dayz. The final part with the keybard percussion is what the song SHOULD have been.

6: Interlude: The nonconformist Oath: "Ohhhh, you're all claiming to be non-conformists but you're just SHEEP" said every other artist ever.

7: Submission (Feat. Danny Brown & Kelela): This song immediately starts of with a female vocalist (I assume Kelela, correct me if I'm wrong) singing, and reminding me of a little dragon feature. Nice, solid music, as well. THAT CHOIR'S BACK BABY I'M LOVIN IT. This is the first song after Ascension that I can really say is a song from THIS album. It sounds NEW, almost like a different artist. Buuut...Brown ruined it. His voice is obnoxious. Why couldn't you just bring back Vince Staples? Or, I dunno, GET D.R.A.M. TO DO A REAL VERSE (Oh, we'll get to that.)

8: Charger (Feat: Grace Jones): OH MY GOD. DAMON ALBARN SINGS ON THIS SONG AS LIKE...THE MAIN GUY. It's a dirtier track, which I feel matches the earlier aesthetic of Gorillaz. But that's not a bad thing. It doesn't sound like a retread, just a tribute to other, harder songs like White Light or Oh Green World. But, the keyboards do a good job of keeping it fresh, it still sounds NEW. Grace Jones is a good vocalist, though there isn't too much of her on this track.

Interlude: Elevator: Goin Up" ...yep.

9: Andromeda (Feat. D.R.A.M.): YEAH, AS A FREAKING BACKING VOCALIST. GIVE MY BOY D.R.A.M. A REAL VERSE. HE MADE CUTE, DAMON. Anyway, it's a little bass heavy, kinda hurts your ears. One of the few songs I would recommend listening to through laptop speakers. And, to be fair, it's a great song. I actually love it when the bass is brought down and the electronics hit. So play it through laptop speakers, then plug it in after that. And, I do at least HEAR D.R.A.M., so that's something. Good dance track....no, AMAZING dance track. But I feel ripped off, as there was no real D.R.A.M. feature that was worth while. Unlike other songs, it seems to take more from Plastic Beach (which I kiiinda preferred to Demon Dayz anyhow) But it still stands as something from THIS album cycle.

10: Busted and Blue: Starts up with kind of a chillwave/vaporwave feel. Ambient noise and smooth, long, drawn keyboards. Very chilled out vocals from Albarn here. the backing vocals kinda remind me of Redbone or Me and your Mamma from Childish Gambino's"Awaken, My love!" SLIDEWHISTLE WHOOOO

11: Interlude: Talk Radio: um...okay.

12: Carnival (Feat. Anthony Hampton): The intro sucks. But Anthony Hampton is a pretty good voice! Matches with the heavier beat. Sort of trap influenced, almost. Not sure what I would call it. The voices and the layering work superbly, and the strings are great, too. Nice and distorted, but not to the point of being unrecognizable.

14: Let Me Out (Feat. Mavis Staples and Pusha T.): Haven't heard from Pusha T in a while. But I'm a fan of the interrupting keyboard, makes it sound distorted. If only they'd taken it to the next level and messed with the vocal track, but I guess we gotta get what we're given. Catchy percussion, love that snare. Mavis Staples has a fantastic voice, and I'm very glad she's on this record with THAT CHOIR BOOSTER. DAMN. The beat and music are also, again, pretty solid.

15: Interlude: Penthouse: I mean...yeah, I guess.

16: Sex Murder Party (Feat. Jamie Principle & Zebra Katz): The sting of percussion at the beginning is not good. I mean, it sounds fine NOW, but imagine that on a playlist on shuffle, and you have the volume up. Gotta think about everything, man. I feel like I have heard that drumline from somewhere, but I honestly couldn't tell you where. Kind of dull, honestly. Dissonant keyboard and strained vocals don't change a song's quality if all they do is remind you of Micheal Meyers.  Jamie Pirnciple is NOT entertaining to listen to. Maybe in a different setting, his voice would work better, but with this kind of music it just doesn't fit. Zebra Katz, on the other hand...fits quite nicely. His voice and range matches the darker tone of the song. Even if the song is bad, he's fit for it.

17: She's my Collar (Feat. Kali Uchis): The snare hits you like a truck if you aren't expecting it. I don't like the Residents-esque guitar in the back. Shame, because without that, it would be a pretty solid beat. The drawn synth is also annoying, too. Kali Uchis is nothing to write home about, but they aren't terrible. Also,using they/them unless I know the artist's perferred pronouns.

18: Interlude: The Elephant: I mean, whatever, man.

19: Hallelujah Money (Feat. Benjamin Clementine): Now, I love this track. Clementine is an amazing vocalist, who deserves to be more popular than he is. He's one of the best modern singers coming out of Europe, in my opinion. This was the first song released from the new album, and if the rest of the album sounded like this, it would be a perfect ten. The beat is simplistic, but just so that it isn't too overwhelming. The choir is awesome, almost like a full on gospel chorus. The keyboards and synths on this song are also amazing. Favorite track so far on the album.

20: We Got the Power (Feat. Jhenny Beth): DAMN THAT INTRO. HOLY CRAP I THINK I JUST DIED. The vocals are amazing on this track, and the matching keyboards are a perfect match. Beth is an amazing vocalist with a unique voice who can really carry a tune. I wish the percussion was a bit slower, maybe half tempo. It seems a little too fast for this kind of song. Other than that, it's good. And hey, this seems like a good workout song. So, it's not awful. But gooooood, that ending. I hate when songs just STOP. At least Hallelujah Money gave us a build. This just stopped.

21: Interlude: New World: Meh, kinda boring. At least the other interludes were funny.

22: The Apprentice (Feat. Rag'n'Bone Man, Zebra Katz, & RAY BLK): Getting a kind of Homeshake vibe from the beginning of this song. Like the vocals at the beginning as well, but I don't know which artist it was. Their voice is unique enough that I bet I WOULD know, if I listened to them. Loving the chorus. Nice flow to it, and I like that they toned back the music on this one. It's more about the vocalists. The second vocalist (who I ALSO don't know the name of, you can tell I'm so versed in music lol) is pretty good too. Their voice getting the lead on the chorus is also pretty cool, you don't see a lot of bands do that, switching the chorus vocalist. Finally, Zebra Katz. He can rap, and pretty well. He has a nice flow, and keeps track of his words. Also: Laughter was SOOOO Demon Days.

23: Halfway to the Halfway House (Feat. Peven Everett) Peven is back, but first let's talk this intro. A bunch of RADAR sounding noises, followed by an underwater-type synth with a kind of ride in the back? It's not HORRIBLE, but it's not really hooking me. Kinda reminds me of a slowed, chopped, and screwed Doncamatic. Peven Everett has a better pattern on this song, and the chorus is a good match for this song as a smaller group. It sounds pretty good, against the dark and drab music. Not much else to say, honestly. Then the second half hits, and it picks up. More people, louder vocals, it's a really good thing. Sometimes more really is more. I also like how it fades and we get kind of a fan effect. But once again, we have a song that just...stops. Shit.

24: Out of Body (Feat. Kilo Kish, Zebra Katz, & Imani Vonsha): The intro is a woman (or two, depending on who you ask) talking about how there's gonna be some sort of special offering. It's seriously right out of a "top ten audio recordings that'll make you leave your hometown and move to Boise" video. But how's the song? Unique enough to use phones as the main synth. The bass is there, and it's loud, but it's just enough to be a good dance track. Kilo Kish is a good artist, kind of reminds me of Tkay Maidza with her flow, but on other songs where she sings, they sound pretty different. Her voice matches the song pretty well. Zebra Katz comes into the track like Nate Dogg on Shake that. Again, though, good rapper. Then a third vocalist, who I assume is Imani Vonsha comes in. She's a much more new artist, but I hope she becomes more popular. Her voice Really is something. kinda reminds me of Jelly from Tank and the Bangas.

25: Ticker Tape (Feat. Carly Simon &Kali Uchis): A slower track, but the keyboard wants it to be fast. It really doesn't sound good. I understand what they were going for, but it sounds ugly. I'm glad it comes out to a more drawn synth later in the song. Really catchy chorus, too. Good percussion, as well. Kick, snare, kick, snare...sometimes, that's all you need.  Carly Simon has a lower, more lowkey voice, which is perfectly suited for this track. Relaxed, undisturbed, but still enough emotion to keep me from falling asleep. loving the James Blake styled vocal modulation on Albarn, really adds kind of a Bo-en feel to it. Kali Uchis comes in later, when the song picks up, which is really where her voice belongs; more upbeat or quicker songs. But guess what? it just...stops.

26: Circle of Friendz (Feat. Brandon Markell Holmes): A song with an intro of sirens, minor violin chords, and glass bottles smashing against walls? Gotta be good, right? Well, it actually isn't that bad! The choral vocal style pairs well with the string ensemble of the keyboards, and the dissonent backing over the verse matches well. Gorillaz has a history of ending their albums with more lowkey tracks, like Pirate Jet on Plastic Beach. Am I glad the tradition returned? Yes. Because this is easily one of the better songs on the album. Markell Holmes really can carry a tune. And how does it end? With a fade....well, at leat it's something.

PHEW! THAT was a long one. But was it good? Well, kind of. There's parts of the album that I thought were great, but others that were just reeeeally repetitive. Over all, it could have been worse. But it could've been better....but it could've been a LOT worse. 7/10