Zombieland

Yet another movie about Zombies, right? WRONG. Everything about this movie should have gone down the wrong way with me: I hate horror, I'm not a huge fan of gratuitous gore, and I'm not especially fond of the undead. But given the cast of tastefully-known but not big name actors, I was curious to see where this movie went.

A movie from director Ruben Fleischer, Zombieland’s premise isn’t exactly original. Most of the world has been stricken by a virus transmitted via biting, and it turns people into zombies, or rabid cannibals with little capacity for reasoning. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg, Adventureland) is one of the few survivors, due mainly to following an anal-retentive list of rules he never breaks (#1 Cardio, #2 Beware Bathrooms, etc). Trying to make it home to Ohio, he teams up with outlaw zombie-slayer killing machine Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson, No Country for Old Men), and eventually Wichita (Emma Stone, Superbad) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine).

But the clichéd premise doesn’t matter because the execution is brilliant. First things first, Zombieland is hysterical. It certainly knows how to use its grossness for ick-factor moments, but most of the comedy comes from the characters themselves. The cast is a pleasantly star-studded but off the radar group, and the acting is top-notch, with Harrelson stealing the show as lunatic Tallahassee. The comedy is disgusting at times, and appropriately morbid, but never misses the mark; there are even throwbacks to Deliverance and Ghost Busters.

At the same time, there are moments of genuine suspense in the vein of an action film as opposed to a horror film. A heart-thumping confrontation near the film’s conclusion involving heavy weaponry on a roller coaster is possibly one of the craziest shoot-outs ever directed. There are also genuinely heart-warming moments in the film, although towards the end of the film the sap is played up a little too much. The soundtrack is for lovers of indie and classic rock, sporting songs by Sea Wolf, Band of Horses, and Blue Oyster Cult.

The characters are all genuinely likable people and sufficient time is spent on their respective back stories. All around the movie’s a winning combination with a good mix of humor, action, and character development, topped off by stellar direction, cinematography, and clever script-writing. If you can get past the gross factor (or maybe you enjoy it) there’s a genuinely entertaining story here. So yeah, it's all been done before--but rarely this outrageously or awesomely.

-elln

Crowded House's TIME ON EARTH

Power Aussie rockers Crowded House haven't produced anything this good since their streak in the eighties. Time on Earth is a moving piece of work, helped by guests like the incredibly talented, prolific Johnny Marr (fan!) and the Dixie Chicks (not a fan). And it's an album largely haunted by drummer Paul Hester's suicide.

The album's tone is set by the floating, slow, dreamy opener of "Nobody Wants To." Neil Finn's voice is crooning, and while the song is tinged with country it's well-crafted lo-fi rock. Their sound has certainly gotten smoother, slower, and has done away with the new wave/glam tinge altogether. "Don't Stop Now" is simply a continuation of the sleek rock of the album opener, with a sufficiently-built chorus and Finn's distant but simple and piercing vocals. "She Called Up" is the album's first upbeat offering, and it's catchy but not really my style as its country influence is a bit too obvious. The bridge is definitely funky, calling to mind the disjointed chords of bands like Silverchair, but I wouldn't call this an album highlight.

"Say That Again" is another solid offering of melancholy Sunday-morning rock, like a less brash, more sophisticated Goo Goo Dolls. This haunting piece is probably the album's strongest point until the next track, "Pour Le Monde," in which Finn really capitalizes on the piano that was hinted at in the opening track. This piano-driven piece highlights Finn's basic but poetic and touching skill with lyrics, and while the orchestrated backing is this close to being sappy the piece is crafted well enough to avoid that pitfall.

"Even a Child"is Marr's contribution to the album and begins the string of really strong tracks. Integral is Marr's catchy guitar-work; here the country twinge works. "Heaven That I'm Making"is more experimental than prior album songs and isn't the strongest effort on the album; "A Sigh" is a Doves-like lush effort backed by tremoring violins and well-placed orchestral arrangements. "Silent House" (surprisingly co-written by the Dixie Chicks) is an album highlight with a smart buildup to the payoff of a melancholy, gorgeous reflection on a dead friend. Finn even inserts small bagpipe sections, demonstrating that while he knows how to play it safe, he steps outside the box enough to prove his musicianship.

"English Trees" is another album highlight, harking back to the earlier smooth rock at the album's start but even more mellowed out. "Walked Her Way Down" is the jazziest track on the album, with extra points for singable-alongable-ness, while "Transit Lounge" can veritably be called clever in both execution and subject matter, with its self-deprecation and frankness and layering of snippets of language and a nice performance by a female vocalist.

"You Are the One to Make Me Cry" seems to realize that the album is winding down, and builds an air of nostalgia using, once again, violin. Once again, one of the impressive aspects of Finn's work is how easily he incorporates a variety of instruments into his arrangements with ease so that they're effective but unobtrusive. "People Are Like Suns" is almost Keane-ish, with a slow and lovely piano arrangement and haunting, melancholy vocals (which the whole album is shot through with). This is what a good rock album should sound like; it avoids all the cliched pitfalls of the genre. Time on Earth is solid, thought-provoking, simplistic and lovely through-and-through.

-elln

The Kooks' INSIDE IN/INSIDE OUT

It's ironic that the Kooks took their name from a David Bowie song considering how little they have in common with glam rock aside from occasional yowling vocals. No, these English indie rockers have a unique spin on the acoustic and alternative scene which renders their sound distinguishable from the beginning. Inside In/Inside Out is a gem of a first album, and starts out unconventionally with one of the catchiest and lo-fi tunes on the album, "Seaside." A soulful acoustic piece, "Seaside" lasts one minute and forty seconds, and is followed by the song one would think would be the opener, "See the World." The second track is when we first hear the upbeat, buzzy, piercing guitars which are the Kooks' signature from here on out, and while it's not the strongest song on the album, it's a solid start.
"Sofa Song" was released as a single before the album, and sports Luke Pritchard singing in a lower register than we've heard yet before launching into more yowling--albeit controlled yowling. What makes the Kooks so interesting is their raw garage-rock style smoothed over and polished into cystallized indie rock and tight chords. "Sofa Song" starts a slew of singles, and next up is the short and sweet "Eddie's Gun," highlighting the masterful use of harmony which is another Kooks trademark.
"Ooh La" is an album highlight where the Kooks back off on the unrelenting suniness of previous tracks and melancholy pervades this still-catchy, still-commercial song. It's not like the Kooks' subject matter is original, but the way it's written is brilliant enough and relatable enough that, sticking to their style, they really can't go wrong.
There's not much to say about "You Don't Love Me" other than that it's another solid, if not particularly strong, addition to the album. "She Moves in Her Own Way," however, is a nice relief from power-driven guitar hooks and lets the listener breathe at the perfect time with its laid-back approach to a loving relationship and lazy, sunny days.
"Matchbox" marks a lyrical change in the album to the more sophisticated, and shifts musical themes pleasurably, becoming one of the surprise album highlights, especially the catchy refrain. "Naive" is yet another album highlight in the vein of the slightly less raw, more polished second half of the album, while "I Want You Back" returns to direct, less-pleasing lyrics and misses a catchy hook by a hair's breadth. "If Only" is a punk take on alt-rock, short with simple guitar chords but a surprisingly upbeat chorus; "Jackie Big Tits" is a testament to the band's immaturity. The song itself is good, and is a return to the mellow sound of some early tracks, in particular "She Moves"; however, the title (and chorus) is unfortunate and prevents the song from being taken seriously.

"Time Awaits" opens with a markedly bluesy acoustic guitar before launching into traditional Kooks sound--at this point what the album lacks markedly is greater variety in sound; on the other hand, the Kooks have such an enigmatic sound going that the begged question is whether or not experimentation will deliver for fans on following albums. The Kooks end their album quietly, just as they began it. "Got No Love" is as close as the Kooks get to reflective, and it works. For such a fiery first album, the choice to open and close with melancholy tracks is interesting, but it does offer a sense of closure.

-elln