#tom denham

[crinolinedream]

Regency boy band. 😂😍

[gameofthunder66]

'Oppenheimer' (2023) film

watched 4/13/2024- 3 stars- on Peacock

91% Rotten Tomatoes

[servants-hall]

Sanditon S3:  Some more new stills from the Masterpiece site!

[someonelikemehere]

Sanditon S3 Spoilers

So, is it just me, or are there not enough episodes in this season?

I would have loved to see more of Heyborne. I know they love each other, but I would have wanted a few more fluffy moments where they are alone and talking about their future before the wedding happened. Also, not even one 'Until Tomorrow, then?' And, I also would have loved a good, proper 10-minute-long scene where he asks 'And, how does a young woman, so long reclused from society, come about understanding so much of love?' and have her tell him all about Sydney (and, how she had loved and been hurt, and heartbroken, and without hope, and how it was Xander who brought her back to life). They did not even call each other by their first name, or one saucy, smirky, secluded Mrs Colbourne to tide us over.

Also, Samuel and Susan were absolutely adorable! So, I would have loved more of them. Mostly I want Susan snarking at Samuel all the time, every day. And, him being a simp of course.

Now, the Duke and our always joyful Mr Arthur Parker. I cannot fault it, the Duke was so done with everything and everyone (his mother in particular), and such a joy to watch. He was perfect. And, I am happy for them both.

Loved Lady Lydia. Loved her snarkiness and her countenance. Hated they did not say who she was engaged to.

I did not care for the Edward redemption ark and his involvement with Augusta. The redemption ark was not all too convincing. Also, I would have thought Augusta smarter than to allow herself to fall in love with a man like him. This villainy I expected in season 2, with Colonel Lennox (and, I would have much preferred to have him back and attempt such a deed with Augusta).

The rest was more or less expected. Tom Parker was equally horrid and wrong in his ways, and Mary was a saint suffering through that. I was happy about Georgiana's story (finding her mother, and her way back to Otis, even though I was not particularly fond of some of her behaviour this season). Lady Denham was hilarious and evil. Mr Hankins was annoying. The arc between the Fraulein and the Doctor was adorable.

So, anyway, there should have been more episodes, right?

[ekirina]

Ganadora de tres Óscars: mejor guión adaptado, mejor película y mejor montaje en el 2013.

Te transmite fácilmente la tensión de la situación, agravada por el ambiente político y social en Irán. Ben Affleck es espléndido como director.

No quiero decir mucho más, porque es preferible que se vea sin tener mucho conocimiento de esta historia basada en hechos reales. Todo un ingenio y con mucha valentía de estos hombres que fueron al rescate.

Mis respetos.

Argo (USA, 2012)

[389]

BLNDRAVE XV MIX MAY '23

[ACID, BASS, BREAKS, BREAKBEAT, ELECTRO, TECHNO, JUNGLE]

Aroma Pitch - Water Air Water (Neukölln Mix)

Tony Q & Barry Scran - You Should Be Listening

INVT - ZUMBAYA

Aloka - Concave

False Persona & Tom Jarmey - Swarm

Liebknecht - Colossus

Boris Barksdale - Phormix - slip the pick

Private Caller - Bring That Back

Borai - Ruff

Ashford Knights - Sinkhole

Borai & Denham Audio - Make Me

Code Walk - Touch

Doctor Jeep - Vault of Glass (VIP Mix)

TSVI - Pull Up - Luru Remix

Ejeca - BetterB

Loco Dice, DJ Tennis - Roots - DJ Tennis Remix

Bambounou - EX06 (Galtier Refix)

Chicago Loop - Shifting Dimensions

Blk. - Kick Out

4am Kru, McDonald & Jannetta - Pianos Raining Down

Tessela - Hackney Parrot (Disaffected Bootleg)

Young Muscle - Smiley Face

Scaefa - Every Time

Shlundee - sometimes

Dexorcist - Rage Signal

Zomby - Euphoria

[engineer-gunzelpunk]

Duncan Down Under

I’m all about promoting Oz Thomas content here! The Featuring @seaswine’s art for the cover! Tom Denham also does the Right On Track podcast!

[railwaysparrow]

“It would seem,” started Amos, “that Henry has been indisposed. He’s a disagreeable engine, so it was only a matter of time.” “So this means it’s only us & Gordon now?” Ralph asked. “That’s right - and we must show the Fat Controller that the three of us alone can manage!"

Happy Birthday to Tom Denham! As I gift I remade a scene from his story "Absolution"!

[thehomeofplatonicfics]

The Heart Drowns

Reader x Charlotte Heywood (and the Parkers) (platonic!!)

Sometimes being in Sanditon seemed like a curse. The town was beautiful, and of course you loved it and it’s people dearly… but everything kept going wrong for you, you were often miserable. As the latest victim to Edward Denham’s mind games, your heart sufficiently broken in the process, you headed for the only place that could provide you peace and solace. The beach and the calming waves of the ocean never failed to make you feel better.

Of course, such a simple plan was going to go so horribly wrong for you. The wind picked up dramatically as you walked along the edge of the ocean, your dress billowing out and your bonnet almost falling off your head. Your instincts told you to turn back, but as the tears continued to flow, you deemed your heartbreak more important.

The heavens opened down onto you, your dress soaked in just a few short seconds, the rain and sea combined and hellbent on making you a true tragic heroine. An urgent shout caught your attention, turning towards the safety of the town to find your friend Charlotte Heywood pointing frantically at the sea, the Parkers just behind her waving you back to the land.

You looked where Charlotte was pointing, gasping as you saw the biggest wave you had ever seen coming towards you. Trying to run away, it was already too late. The sea swept underneath you, and you were thrown under the cold, harsh water. You could only vaguely hear the screams of worry coming from the shore, your own heart pounding loudly in your head. It was difficult to hold your breath as the ocean tossed you about.

Your bonnet now lost to you, it floated up to the surface, to the horror of the Parkers. They had, along with Charlotte, run down the steps onto the beach, yelling out your name as they tried to find a glimpse of you. Tom and Arthur were already removing their tailcoats and cravats to jump in and extract you.

It was Charlotte however you reached you first, as you struggled to find the surface to take a breath, your hand just barely breaching the surface. Your lungs ached and you felt the world slowly fading to black when a frantic hand grasped tightly onto yours. Charlotte tugged you to the surface, Tom scooping you up in his arms as your head finally breached the surface of the water.

The trio rushed up the beach back onto the safety of the shore, laying you down on your side. The water you had swallowed came rushing back out of your mouth on the street, as you loudly hacked and coughed your way through your first breaths since rescue. “Y/N, can you hear me?” Charlotte asked, rubbing your back softly, as the Parker brothers decided who would fetch the Doctor.

You vaguely nodded, the air burning your chest and throat. Heavy tremors wracked through you, from the cold air and the shock of the ordeal you’d been through. Tom ran off to find Dr Fuchs, leaving you in the care of Arthur, Mary and Charlotte.

“Let us get her inside before she catches her death out here.” Mary quietly instructed the others, who nodded sharply in agreement. Charlotte and Mary gently helped you to stand, the former putting an arm around your waist to steady you as you swayed. Arthur took off his coat, handing it to Mary as she wrapped it around you. “Thank you, Mr Parker.” You rasped, barely audible. “Don’t try and speak, dear. Save your strength.”

You softly nodded to show you understood, as you took tentative steps towards Trafalgar House. Even with heavy assistance, you had to stop often, doubled over coughing and spluttering and your legs acting like you were a baby deer. Despite Arthur’s coat covering you, your soaking wet clothing was chilling you to the bone and you were heavily shivering. Charlotte felt that she was having to hold you up more and more. She turned to Arthur with a half pleading, half concerned look. He instantly recognised what he wanted her to do. “May I, Miss Y/N?”

You were gathered into his arms before you could blink, and you clung tightly to him as the trio speedily made their way home. They burst through the doors of Trafalgar House, rushing you up the stairs into the guest bedroom. Arthur laid you down on top of the bed and left, before Charlotte and Mary began helping you out of you soaking attire.

“I’m sorry, Charlotte.” You croaked, wincing at the burning sensation in your throat. “It’s okay, Y/N, really.” Charlotte paused, placing a hand on your shoulder for a moment before continuing. “What were you doing out there in this weather anyway?” She asked, undoing your stays to pull your clingy undergarments away from your chilled skin.

“I needed some fresh air and a walk to… muddle through my murky thoughts.” Mary brought over a nightdress for you and helped to put in on. “Has something happened?” Charlotte pressed, watching your face fall as you chewed the inside of your cheek.

“Recently, I meddled with the wrong person and… had my heart sufficiently hurt in the process.” You lowered your head, as the pair pulled back the covers and helped you settle down onto the pillows, which propped you upright. “Oh, Y/N. I am so sorry, I didn’t know.” A sad smile appeared as you fiddled with the edge of the blankets. “It’s okay, I really should have known better given his reputation.”

You doubled over coughing again, and Mary rubbed your back soothingly as she raised an eyebrow at Charlotte. There was only one person they could think of. “Sir Denham?” Charlotte quietly asked, as you flopped back against the covers. A tear slipped down your cheeks, confirming everything.

“The right one is out there for you, Y/N. I just know it. You are wonderful, kind and a good friend.” You smiled up at her, eyes brimming with more tears at hearing such lovely words about you. “Thank you. And… thank you for saving my life.”

Your companions both smiled, Charlotte giving your hand a squeeze before they both moved towards the door. “You need to get your rest, the doctor will be here soon.” They shut the door behind them, and you settled back into the pillows. A hopeful little smile present despite everything. The encouragement was just what you needed.

[colin-firth]

Hi Liz! I finally caught up on s3 of sanditon. So much happened!! What are your thoughts on it?

ty for asking!!! lengthy observations here and under the cut

yesss! so my favorite observation someone had (on fb iirc) was that is was kind of a regency "love actually"? so many love stories, big and small, grand and humble. i love that. i think the absolute highlights was the montrose kids (harry + arthur too), georgiana and her mother, lady susan and samuel. tbh i like heybourne, they are cute, but they didn't intrigue me as much as the other couples. i do get chills at both cliffside scenes but the writing on colbourne was somewhat up and down for me. however, rewatching s1, i realize sidney pinged dramatically between extremely angry and being in love. he had great moments, "my truest self," the boat conversation, and really, really bad moments (ep 1 ballroom yelling, i think he yelled at charlotte aggressively in the boarding house where g lives, being a brothel patron [yike]). colbourne had great moments, cliffside confessions, trying to get her back in s2, developing into a more patient father, and bad moments, yelling at her after the garden party, being cold to his child and ward, etc. so i can't be an unalloyed devotee to either leading man. samuel, however, has never done anything wrong in his life ever!!!! that man has humor, wit, education, a career, but knows how to party down and flirt artfully with a high ranking courtier.

other highlights of the season:

miss hankins romcom heroine era is NOW

lady montrose was a FANTASTIC gentrified mrs bennet

the use of "gallows" to convey the risks of same sex love at the time was fantastic, they did not beat us over the head with it like some shows (fucking downton abbey). harry was so wonderful and charming and i was surprised because the preview pictures of the montroses didn't encourage me. i hate when shows introduce new characters but don't integrate them well or support them with good writing, but they were a fantastic contribution to existing characters and plots.

edwarddddd. ok augward is... yike. and him using wentworth's "you pierce my soul" was slightly yike. but jack fox is my legit show crush and i could watch him play anything, but villain-heroine is everything. eloise was INCREDIBLE during the scene where edward broke her heart, what a talent that young woman is!

lady denham romcom era!!! i love mr pryce, i also noted he tried to woo her with buggy rides which i HOPE is a throwback to esther and babbington with carriage rides

tom's trumpesque ruthless developer era was a lot but i know the narrative framework needs a 'villain' in every storyline. my only regret is it wasn't revealed mary was faking her illness to troll tom.

the interior set of g's party was EXQUISITE

some folks on fb wanted lockhart redeemed. hard no for me due to the racism, so i was glad to see him go full villainy, and his entrance was serving cruella (plus the fun little dandy cane was menacing until it was shown he didn't need it by skipping down the steps)

lady susan!!!!!! sophie winkleman being both minor british royalty AND a consummate actress is so charming to me. i was so glad to see that character developed instead of retaining the fairy godmother quality from s1 that didn't really show WHY she was drawn to charlotte.

the end was serving pure sense & sensibility with the confusion over engagements. the s&s ending is one of my faves of all time.

very interesting cinematography this season -- many beautiful shots from the floor up at g entering a room, behind people's heads

i loved to see the tea room feature heavily again, i love a good tea room

the show was kinda bold this season in a few ways: frank portrayal of racist and misogynist tropes of black women as hypersexual, seducing white men etc; the sidney slander during the trial dflkshfh; charlotte kissing colbourne whilst engaged

OTIS HEA. i liked him in s1 and thought they clearly showed his heart was true but behavior foolhardy. the actor looked so young in s1 but hottttt in s3.

so the homages. i was less a fan of the overt line borrowings ("you have bewitched me") and more a fan of storylines being borrowed (colbourne rescuing georgiana a la darcy rescuing lydia). i am not mad about it but it did take me out of the scenes somewhat, although i recognize it was fully intentional and meant to be a valentine to period drama devotess.

i take some issue with edward's storyline in s3 after going SO dark in s2. but i'm willing to have selective memory because i'm the jack fox fan of all time

ok last thing - i bought a sanditon prop from a dealer/collector. he has a whole box of them and i'm gonna help him index them and make sure real fans (instead of resellers) are able to have a chance at getting one. it's a prize ribbon from the sandcastle contest in s1 held by tom (kris marshall). i framed it with my pop's help. :)

ty for asking and sorry for writing so much!

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 08/04/2023 (Tyler the Creator’s ‘CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: THE ESTATE SALE’, Jisoo)

We see a third #1 in three weeks, as for the first week, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding take the throne on the UK Singles Chart with “Miracle”, becoming Harris’ 11th #1 track and Goulding’s fourth (excluding charity singles). The duo finally reaches the #1 spot after years of top 10 collaborations like “I Need Your Love” and “Outside”, and it’s a damn great song, probably my favourite #1 of the year so far, so I’m far from complaining. With that out of the way, welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

Enough about the #1, let’s get to the real star of the show as we start, as always, with the notable dropouts: songs exiting the UK Top 75 – which is what I cover – after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This was one of those mildly dull and less busy weeks, so there’s not much going on in the dropouts, but we do say farewell to all of Lana Del Rey’s tracks as well as “Love Again” by The Kid LAROI and “LET GO” by Central Cee, neither of which I care about too much.

As for what’s filling in the gaps, well, we have “Lavender Haze” by Taylor Swift returning to #70 and as for our notable gains, we see boosts for “Afraid to Feel” by LF SYSTEM for whatever reason at #64, “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen at #59, “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers because of course at #58, Luke Combs’ cover of “Fast Car” up big off of the debut at #54, “Oh Baby” by Nathan Dawe and Bru-C featuring bshp and Issey Cross at #36, “Here” by Tom Grennan at #31, “Hell n Back” by Bakar at #28, “Can’t Tame Her” by Zara Larsson at #27, “Mother” by Meghan Trainor at #22 (Augh), and some big gains within the top 20, those being “REACT” by Switch Disco featuring Ella Henderson and the late Robert Miles at #15 and “Whistle” by Jax Jones featuring Calum Scott at #14.  

This week’s top five on the UK Singles Chart consists of “Calm Down” by Rema at #5, “People” by Libianca reaching a new peak of #4, last week’s chart-topper, “Eyes Closed” by Ed Sheeran, falling down to #3, “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus at #2 and of course, “Miracle” at #1. Now for our batch of new arrivals, which evidences a slightly slower week but still with some songs of interest as we actually span four continents, starting of course with Europe... if we still count as part of that.

NEW ARRIVALS

#75 – “Make Me” – Borai & Denham Audio

Produced by Borai & Denham Audio

I’ll bite: who are Borai & Denham Audio? Well, Borai is a Bristol producer whose real name is the... oddly funny “Boris English” and Denham Audio is a group out of Sheffield, and they both make breakbeat so naturally my ears perked up immediately when I saw this charting, even though it’s a song from 2019 by two seemingly unknown artists. Hell, it did get a 2023 reissue and we’re probably getting more quality from the unknown guys than the A-listers so, is it any good? Well, obviously, I’m going to approve of it in some regard – it samples one of the best dance-pop songs of all time, “U Sure Do” by Strike which in itself is a fascinating mish-mash of samples that already charted. Strike took the vocal from singer Donna Allen’s debut single “Serious”, which hit #8 here in 1986, and the synth from Belgian duo Cubic 22’s 1991 hit “Night in Motion”, which peaked at #15. What was created was a song of childlike euphoria, which used its sparse production to great effect by only choosing what was necessary for the track to go off. It’s an adorable dancefloor filler that ended up out-peaking its source material at #4 in 1995. Strike didn’t last long afterwards but “U Sure Do” is immense, with one of its less regarded aspects perhaps being its more confused verses, with the corny “Let’s do it” vocal, echoing delivery and hypnotic bass. Whilst “Make Me” doesn’t make use of the verses necessarily, it does emulate the deliriousness by placing Allen’s vocal onto a joyful loop not dissimilar to the original before picking it apart in a muddy, treadmill break with racketing drums and the leads playing second-fiddle to a warping bass, whilst that mesmerising loop professing love plays just on top. It takes a song that was pure joy and makes it feel kind of cosmic and alienating, which is an interesting and kind of fitting take for post-pandemic EDM. It’s not the most intricate breakbeat I’ve ever heard, but it matches its thesis pretty excellently and I’m a sucker for pretty much anything that sounds like this so I hope the sample is enough to help this stick around past a couple weeks. It’s pretty solid.

#63 – “SORRY NOT SORRY” – Tyler, the Creator

Produced by Tyler, the Creator

California rapper Tyler, the Rapper released a deluxe version of his 2021 album CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST subtitled THE ESTATE SALE, and honestly, a lot of the tracks should have been on the standard version – if you take six of the best tracks from the standard and six of the bonus tracks, you get a great, mostly concise bombastic and thoughtful rap album, but alas, this isn’t a perfect world so there’s a lot of filler in the standard album that honestly makes the deluxe tracks sound a lot more refreshing, especially this one, which acts as the closer and probably should have always acted as the closer to the album as it sums up a lot of the general mood and thesis of all versions of the album: an unapologetic retrospective on his career thus far that he’s not afraid to brag about but also try and understand in greater context of his progression as a human. It would be pointless to sit here and pick apart this one three-minute verse because all of the sarcasm is balanced with sincerity and whilst it may make him seem unlikeable at times when he talks about social issues, that is a result of a lot of overthinking, which I can be guilty of with Tyler’s music before. Ultimately, the lyrics here are a genuine stream-of-consciousness that finds itself trickling into many different aspects of his life and career, whether it be his relationships, his mother, Odd Future or his signature McLarens, and the most it could ever feel is honest. It can be very difficult as a celebrity to separate those who have your best interests in mind to simply haters in it for self-gain, especially when confronted with the two on a daily basis, and people often being one of the two depending on the day, and “SORRY NOT SORRY” is a deeply personal song for sure, but on a grander scale, feels like an examination of that. It helps that this is a drumless track – not the lack of percussion, but rather the genre – wherein Tyler is rambling over a beautiful, lo-fi sample, with an occasional ramping up of tensions that allows DJ Drama to go really over-the-top in his ad-libbing, which sounds oddly emotive and vulnerable this time around. Fittingly for its subject matter, it’s a warm sample layered with backing vocals and those moments of intensity that push you further from reaching Tyler as a human before you can come back and try and understand... yet the song ends with him blocking you out once again. The way this is accentuated with DJ Drama saying “we really mean it this time” is the cherry on top of this nuanced, complex and openly hypocritical narrative that is compelling throughout and absolutely one of Tyler’s best songs. It’s one verse, with barely any drums and a whole lot of flow switches, so I very much doubt it’ll last past this one week, but it’s an excellent track nonetheless.

#61 – “Cupid” – FIFTY FIFTY

Produced by Sung Il Ahn, Adam von Mentzer, Mac Fellander-Tsai and Louise Udin

K-pop girl group FIFTY FIFTY have had their breakout in the western world with this new single “Cupid”, and it seems to be a more natural streaming push rather than any sales nonsense. If that’s where K-pop is going, then I suppose I’ll have to learn these girls’ names like I did for BLACKPINK – more on them later – but I honestly think don’t think this single will go anywhere far, at least for now. It was brought to my attention before it charted and whilst I prefer it to a lot of K-pop, I still can’t fully enjoy it. This is mostly because of how there are so many nu-disco songs that sound like this out there, and maybe outside of the sound being oversaturated, I’d enjoy this a bit more... but this is potentially too clean and cutesy, even if the harmonies are pretty gorgeous in that chorus. The maturity with this lighter, more relaxed disco sound kind of flies out of the window with the rap verse, so we end up with a song that in either its Korean or English version doesn’t really bring anything interesting to the table despite its competency. I can’t say it’s bubblegum because it’s not all that optimistic about love, but it definitely feels like it’s lacking – it’s kind of like a lounge track, but if it went further into that relaxed route, maybe slowing the tempo, getting rid of the stupid rap verse, we could have something pretty good here but, as is, it’s silently competent.

#60 - “UNAVAILABLE” – Davido featuring Musa Keys

Produced by Magicsticks

Nigerian singer Davido released his newest album Timeless last week, which hit #10 on the albums chart, and the breakout hit from it in the UK seems to be this track featuring South African musician Musa Keys, and surprisingly enough, not the track with Skepta. Did the UK make a good choice with this one? Well, I like the groovy Afrobeats rhythm that picks the pace up a bit as well as the lo-fi samples added in the intro, which I kind of wish continued instead of just acting as producer tags as they would definitely fit amidst the distant group vocals and oddly rubbery, squibby bass – almost reminding me of dubstep – that sounds really interesting and I actually love it given how bass-heavy and rhythm-focused this song is. The hook is a basic call-and-response melody about being unavailable and emotionally stoic, and whilst I wished there was more detail – maybe there is further into the album – it sounds genuine and honestly purposefully isolating with Davido’s Auto-Tune-drenched frustration in the verse transcending language in a really instinctual, guttural way and knowing what Davido’s been through recently with the death of his son, it hits pretty hard, even if I’m not personally a fan. I might be if I check out more after this as I’m really impressed by this. Even our guest, Musa Keys, brings their flailing falsetto harmonies to both a smooth verse and an outro that sounds like hyperventilating. I’m surprised by how much I like this but please do check it out if you haven’t: it’s a vulnerable and infectious track that I’d really like to hear more of – if anyone is willing to lead me towards Davido tracks or Afrobeats songs in general that sound this cold and lonely, it’d be greatly appreciated.

#44 – “VOID” – Melanie Martinez

Produced by Melanie Martinez

Sigh, I’m posting this on Tumblr, Melanie Martinez’s breeding ground, so pray for me, but I still don’t like Melanie at all. I found the focus on childhood trauma remarkably uncomfortable and feigned for her first couple years in music, and the step beyond that with this third record, whilst appreciated, has not led to any more substance in the music, or at least not in the singles as I have yet to hear Martinez’s #2 album PORTALS and I’m honestly not sure if I’ll ever want to. This second single doesn’t change my mind either, with its staccato, doomer indie rock bassline and drums that feel just void – no pun intended – of any emotion or passion. You’d think a song that starts with a verse about panicking, spinning and being controlled by society injecting ideas into you would be less dull and unconcerned with its own plodding rhythm. The inner turmoil in the overlong chorus is interesting to hear considering... well, pretty much everything that regards Melanie Martinez, but it’s not delivered in a way that feels all that interesting or impassioned to me. Out of all things that Melanie has been – uncomfortable, awkward, long-winded and practically comical – boring was not one of them, but I guess that’s now checked off of the list. Again, I’m not a fan – much like “DEATH”, if I were into the lore, I think I’d understand and vibe with this a bit more, but to an outsider, and I understand I very much am on the outside looking in with Melanie, it’s not that worthwhile of a listen. Sorry.

#39 – “DOGTOOTH” – Tyler, the Creator

Produced by Tyler, the Creator

The lead single from Tyler’s deluxe album is much simpler in comparison to “SORRY NOT SORRY”, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile. The vintage keys sound great under the dirty South beat, especially with those signature semi-spacey synths Tyler adds to a lot of his production, and his delivery is some of his most confident and straightforward, as he inseminates his relationship problems into a lot of careless flexing in a way that’s honestly just fun, as he tells women never to follow advice from anyone with a lean gut. Each drop goes hard, and it’s pretty fun to hear Tyler (and DJ Drama) balance the celebration with Tyler’s confusion regarding his love life and trust issues that may undercut the verses but make the chorus a lot more instinctual and accessible than if it were also fully in flex mode. It’s nothing all that special for Tyler but with the smooth backing vocals, great unique mixing, it’s a type of banger that he doesn’t often deliver and I appreciate it as a lead single, since it’s a more well-constructed throwaway flex than a lot of the standard album, including its own lead single “LUMBERJACK”. Again, I would have loved for these deluxe tracks to end up on the original but alas, we don’t live in a perfect world, and this song is absolutely solid enough.

#38 – “FLOWER” – Jisoo

Produced by 24

Back to Korea we go with Jisoo, the fourth and final member of the K-pop quartet BLACKPINK to release a solo debut single, so maybe it was worth it learning everyone’s names. I’ve liked the solo efforts much more than the group work, mostly because they can be more focused, so I was kind of optimistic with this one and hey, it’s not half-bad. It’s a somewhat childish song in its minimal rhythm and staccato, literal “do-re-mi” verses (she actually says “ABC, do-re-mi”), but I feel like that works best for the pettiness of her shaming her partner for being the reason why their relationship fell apart. It’s the initial bitterness which she brings to an almost condescending pluck and snap beat with those stabs of synth feeling like exposés of this person, even if she’s not particularly biting unless the English translation isn’t doing it any wonders. The harmonies in the build-up are pretty sweet before leading to a vocaloid drop that is very 2017 but in a rather cute, inoffensive way. Most of my issues with the song are also elements of praise, in all honesty, but the conceit of nature that follows Jisoo throughout the track works pretty well, with the line “there was nothing left but the scent of a flower” being a pretty good pre-drop wham line. It’s a bit under-produced, sure, and Jisoo performs well but not uniquely... yet it’s catchy enough and it’s got a good rhythm and lyrical motif so I’m fine with this sticking around (if it does; this is K-pop we’re talking about), even if I’m not quite as impressed as I was with her bandmate ROSÉ.

Conclusion

Honestly, this was a pretty good week, though also one that had a strange fixation on all-caps titles. Even the worst songs were pretty inoffensive and there is some shockingly good stuff here too – Tyler, the Creator obviously runs away with Best of the Week for “SORRY NOT SORRY” and he was close to snabbing the Honourable Mention but I’ll actually make it a tie between “DOGTOOTH” and “UNAVAILABLE” by Davido featuring Musa Keys, which was a pleasant surprise. As for the worst, it should be obvious, with Worst of the Week going to Melanie Martinez for “VOID” even though that’s far from her worst track. It would feel pretty insincere giving a Dishonourable Mention given that these are otherwise decent songs, so I suppose that’s it for our week. Buckle up: Drake’s coming next. Joy. Just delightful. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next week!

[afirewiel]

Sanditon 3x02: My Thoughts

I know we’re only 2 episodes in, but can’t Charlotte just break up with Ralph already!

Well, at least Augusta isn’t completely foolish.

I wonder why Alexander and Samuel haven’t seen each other in ten years.

Charlotte and Alexander almost held hands!

Oh dear. Tom’s in another quandary where he knows the right thing to do but is too afraid to do it.

Lady Denham and Mr. Price...I just love the banter.

I didn’t expect the trail to be so soon. I thought it wasn’t going to be until the end of the season.

I thought that Samuel being in Sanditon just when Georgiana was needing a lawyer was going to be a coincidence. So glad to be wrong! I love that Mr. Colbourne purposefully went to find him because he knew Georgiana is important to Charlotte. And he knew Charlotte’s engaged to another man so it’s not like he was doing it because he expected anything. He just wanted to do something nice for him. I love that man!

I’m already getting tired of Lady Monterose and her schemes. Leave Mr. Colbourne alone! He’s been though enough and deserves better than to have a fortune hunter like you targeting him.

That being said, I do feel a little sorry for Lydia. By the standards of the time, she’s an old maid and seems nice. I do hope she won’t be too disappointed when Mr. Colbourne marries Charlotte.

And poor Lady Susan. But by the looks of things she’ll soon find happiness.

[claudia1829things]

Ranking of "SANDITON" Season Three (2023) Episodes

Below is my ranking of the Season Three episodes from "SANDITON", the ITV adaptation of Jane Austen's unfinished novel. Adapted by Andrew Davies, the limited series starred Rose Williams, Crystal Clarke and Ben Lloyd-Hughes:

RANKING OF "SANDITON" SEASON THREE (2023) EPISODES

1. (3.03) "Episode 3" - Landowner Alexander Colburne holds a shooting party for the highbrow locals, where he confesses his continuing love for Charlotte Heywood, now engaged to another. The roguish Sir Edward Denham request's Alexander's permission to court the latter's niece, Augusta Markham. And heiress Georgiana Lambe receives a surprise visit from former beau Otis Molyneux in London, who is there to offer support during the trial to save her fortune.

2. (3.05) "Episode 5" - Augusta and Sir Edward leave Sanditon to elope in Scotland. Charlotte and Alexander race after the pair to stop their elopement. Georgiana reunites with her long-lost mother, thanks to Otis. Tom and Mary Parker quarrel over the former and Mr. Pryce's plans to demolish Sanditon's old working-class neighborhood for a new resort hotel.

3. (3.02) "Episode 2" - Georgiana desperately searches for a barrister to help her fight Charles Lockhart's attempt to take her fortune. Alexander's brother, Samuel Colburne, finally offers to represent her. He also becomes attracted to Charlotte's friend, Lady Susan. Tom reveals his plans regarding Sanditon's old neighborhood to Lady Denham. Tom's new partner, Rowleigh Pryce, proves to be Lady Denham's former flame. Arthur Parker befriends Harry Montrose, Duke of Buckinghamshire and Georgiana's potential suitor.

4. (3.04) "Episode 4" - Georgiana becomes engaged to Harry Montrose, which threatens the latter's budding relationship with Arthur. Charlotte attempts to distance herself from Alexander, but as they are repeatedly thrown into each other's orbit. Sir Edward and Augusta make plans to elope.

5. (3.01) "Episode 1" - Charlotte returns to Sanditon with her fiancé Ralph Starling, to celebrate Georgiana's 21st birthday. She and Alexander have an awkward reunion. Sir Edward tries to prove to Lady Denham that he has changed for the better. Georgiana receives news of Lockhart's lawsuit during her party.

6. (3.06) "Episode 6" - In the series finale, Tom cancels his partnership with Mr. Pryce. Lady Denham ends her engagement to Mr. Pryce. Seeing that Sir Edward's character has improved following his aborted elopement with Augusta, Lady Denham offers him a living as a clergyman. Charlotte, Georgiana, Arthur and others all find true love.

[ljones41]

Ranking of "SANDITON" Season Two (2022) Episodes

Below is my ranking of the Season Two episodes from "SANDITON", the ITV adaptation of Jane Austen's unfinished novel. Adapted by Andrew Davies, the limited series starred Rose Williams, Crystal Clarke and Ben Lloyd-Hughes:

RANKING OF "SANDITON" SEASON TWO (2022) EPISODES

1. (2.04) "Episode 4" - Tension mounts when old enemies, estate owner Alexander Colbourne and Colonel Francis Lennox, rivals for Charlotte Heywood’s hand; reunite at Lady Denham's garden party. Heiress Georgiana Lambe learns a vital piece of information. Sir Edward Denham attempts to exploit the pregnancy predicament of Lady Denham’s disgraced niece, Clara Brereton.

2. (2.06) "Episode 6" - In the season finale, Charlotte's younger sister Alison Heywood prepares to leave Sanditon with her dreams of romance fading. Charlotte ponders her future. Georgiana learns shocking truths when Sidney Parker's belongings from Antigua are returned. Esther, Lady Babbington faces a bleak future as Edward's schemes against her come to fruition.

3. (2.01) "Episode 1" - Season Two begins with Charlotte returning to Sanditon to find employment and with Alison in tow. A group of Army officers descend on the town, offering both romantic and business opportunities. Georgiana meets an intriguing artist named Charles Lockhart. Esther has an unwanted reunion with Edward, who has become an Army officer.

4. (2.05) "Episode 5" - Colonel Lennox and Colbourne's rivalry over Charlotte comes to a head at the Sanditon ball. Georgiana makes a decision that will impact her future. Edward's manipulation of Esther takes a dark turn.

5. (2.02) "Episode 2" - Charlotte starts her new job as governess for Colbourne’s niece and daughter, Augusta Markham and Leonora Colbourne. Alison is determined to be reunited with her new beau, Captain William Carter. Lady Denham receives an unexpected surprise with Clara’s return to Sanditon. Colonel Lennox throws a dinner party.

6. (2.03) "Episode 3" - Resort founder Tom Parker gets ready for Sanditon's annual fair amidst rumors that the soldiers have not been paying their debts in town. Alison falls for Captain Carter, unaware that he is wooing her under false pretenses. Clara seeks Esther's help. Edward hatches his plan against the latter.