Living Things | Linkin Park

As many are aware, Linkin Park is a band of evolution. In other words, their sound has changed a bit over time, and sometimes that can cause dispute amongst listeners. Living Things is Linkin Park's latest album to date, and I was quite excited to hear it since their last album, A Thousand Suns, left me vastly impressed.

The opening track is called "Lost in the Echo," and it begins with a rather quiet electronic melody which quickly explodes into a huge sound. Mike Shinoda raps in the verses while Chester Bennington sings the chorus, creating a sound that is what I'd like to think of as signature Linkin Park.

"In My Remains" comes next, sounding even more electronically brilliant at first before the guitars come in, creating a very lush sound, and blow the listener away. The verses are mellow, creating a great contrast between them and the chorus. By the time the song ends, it has watered down to a slower pace and slowly fades out to silence. Even lyrically, I especially liked this track.

Following "In My Remains" comes the exceptional lead single of Living Things, entitled "Burn it Down." Like nearly all Linkin Park songs, this song has a great blend of rock and sonic elements - all of which mesh with Chester's voice perfectly. Shinoda raps a bit in the bridge but that's all we hear of him in this song. All in all, I liked this track as much as the previous two.

Though the first three tracks give a very similar vibe, "Lies Greed Misery" is a bit different musically. Mike Shinoda has the verses while Chester sings/yells/screams the chorus and the bridge. It all gets quite rash sounding by the end, as it is an angry song. However, despite its differences from the other songs so far, it's not a favorite of mine.

The fifth track is called "I'll Be Gone," and the beginning sounds extra awesome to me for whatever reason. When Chester begins to sing the first verse, he sounds a bit different, almost slightly nasally. However, this doesn't continue throughout the entire song; his voice sounds as expected in the chorus. My favorite part of the whole thing was the bridge, both musically and lyrically. Those lyrics are relatable and great, and the music continues from the chorus in perhaps the smoothest possible transition. I suppose one could say the song ended with a bang with the way Chester sang the last "I'll be gone," for it was so powerful.

One of my favorites from the album is called "Castle of Glass." The entire song is sung by Mike Shinoda, for a change. Though I do love Chester's voice, Mike does a fine job as well. His voice flowed with the music perfectly as the song gradually crescendos. But, that's not all the song has to offer. The lyrics are absolutely beautiful, a seamless match with the music, which sounds almost adventurous to me. Really, this song kind of makes me think of dreams, of movies and books that are set up in otherworldly places. "Castle of Glass" is a wonderful track.

In case you fell asleep during that song's slow tempo, Linkin Park will make sure you wake up to hear "Victimized" with the opening guitars. Mike quietly sings the first verse (and sounds absolutely great), but Chester comes in and screams the chorus. Out of his singing phase, Mike also raps in the second verse. Don't walk out of the room to get a sandwich when listening to this song, because you might miss it. Seriously, it's not even two minutes long. Personally, I only enjoyed the first verse, but it doesn't matter because the song itself is so short. At least the lyrics have a nice determined, vengeful message ("never again victimized!")

Completely unlike the last song, the beginning effects remind me a little of "Crystalline" by Bjork. Soon enough, the piano comes in and Mike starts singing, and it is clearly a Linkin Park song. This track, "Roads Untraveled," is another of my favorite tracks. The harmonies of this song are chill-worthy, just like the lyrics. Unfortunately, the song ends sort of abruptly... I wish I could have more of this amazing song.

The next song, "Skin to Bone," nearly gives me a mad-scientist feel musically (don't ask; it was the best way to describe it, okay?), and yet again, Mike Shinoda is singing some awesome lyrics. Right away, I can tell that this song is a electric masterpiece. Is the song repetitive? Yes, but do I really care when it's something as cool as this? No.

"Until it Breaks" is a break from any norm the band has created in this album. Though the electronic vibe is still there, it's the closest thing on Living Things to actual rap/hip-hop (though it isn't the first time he's rapped on the album). Chester sings in the chorus, which is broken down beautifully - just Chester and piano. The ending sector demands the listener to sing along and reminds me a bit of indie music - but only a little.

"Tinfoil" is an electronic instrumental track with bits of piano layered in. It's a very small instrumental, in both length and sound, but that doesn't mean it isn't powerful - which is kind of punny since it leads into the final track, "Powerless." Right away, "Powerless" impressed me. The piano is potent in this song, and Chester's vocals are spectacular. Even if he wasn't singing, the melodies of this song would be wonderful, but his voice makes it even better. By the time the second verse comes, the electronic element begins to shine along with the piano. Even so, the song crescendos more and more as it goes on before fading out a bit and ending almost abruptly. As far as an album-closer, "Powerless" was a good choice, not to mention one of my three favorites from this album.

Although Linkin Park has evolved with time, they definitely remained the same band. Honestly, between this album and A Thousand Suns, I think their changes have been for the better. They have evolved into a better band, their music has matured into something bigger than they've been before.

That being said, Living Things is a great album. After listening to it, I am insured that Linkin Park has a lot to offer listeners with their general musicianship, wonderful lyrics, and genre variation.

4/5 Stars

Sailor Moon: The Effects Last Forever

Sailor Moon is one of the most famous faces in manga and anime. Years ago, the anime used to be aired on Cartoon Network. Like many, I watched it dubbed in English, for it was originally in Japanese and that was the only way I ever knew to watch it at the time. Unfortunately, the final season wasn't aired for English-speaking countries for a few different reasons you can read about here. In my opinion, Sailor Moon's time on English television was cut too short. Even now, I miss it, and I know I'm not the only one.

As many fans of Sailor Moon already know, the manga is finally being reprinted. Years ago, I started looking for the manga and found that it could get expensive as it was out of print, and at the time even finding them used was a bit difficult. Oftentimes, I ran into Japanese editions (I don't speak Japanese, so this was a problem). But, with it being reprinted, my love for the series has awakened once again. Well, I should say it resurfaced; I never stopped loving it.

One thing I've always been aware of is that every single thing we experience, no matter how insignificant it may seem, will leave a mark in some way or another. Everything. The books we read, the shows we watch, the music we listen to... These things affect us. They influence us in some way or another. Even before now, before this love for Sailor Moon has resurfaced, I knew that Sailor Moon influenced me in more ways than one.

First of all, Sailor Moon sparked my interst in astronomy. Obviously, this series uses astronomy in fictional ways, but how could it not catch a child's interest? Soon, I grabbed my dad's books on the subject (he loves astronomy as well, which is probably another factor that contributed to my love of the universe and its mysteries) from the shelves. At age four, I didn't understand many of the words used in these books, but that was never my concern. I just liked the pictures; I thought they were beautiful. In fact, I still think they're beautiful. Ever since I could work a remote, I'd go to the Science Channel to watch documentaries dealing with astronomy. I still do.

 

And let's face it, without Sailor Moon, would I get emotional at the fact that Pluto is no longer considered a planet? No, I wouldn't. But I watched Sailor Moon as a kid, and as I watched, Sailor Pluto became one of my favorite characters. If I could be her, Sailor Moon, or Sailor Mars for a day, I'd be happy. So in my world, Pluto is a planet and always will be.

Though I tend to favor some over others, the Sailor senshi in general are a group of badasses. Pretty Guardian badasses at that! You gotta love the girl power in this series. But more specifically, I can relate to a lot of the Senshis' defining idiosyncrasies. I can see myself in all but three of them and admire them all. Sailor Pluto is one I wish I could say I had something in common with, but I'm not sure I can. I've always felt some sort of connection to this character... However, this may be the leftover effect her character left from when I was a kid, when I wanted to be her. But throughout my life, I've been able to relate to the general characteristics of Usagi (Sailor Moon), Rei (Sailor Mars), Ami (Sailor Mercury), Makoto (Sailor Jupiter), and Hotaru (Sailor Saturn).

Speaking of Hotaru Tomoe, her story is one of my favorite parts of the manga and anime. When I used to watch the anime on TV, I typically ended up watching the third season, Sailor Moon S, and had a couple of tapes of episodes from that season. I had always been mystified by Hotaru's story of becoming Sailor Saturn, I watched the tape over and over again. But I never saw the ending. I never knew what happened until a few years ago, when I looked it up. I didn't know about Mistress 9 or Pharaoh 90, or that she would be part of the Outer Senshi... and I don't know why that strikes me so. For whatever reason, this became so important to me, to find out what happened to such a beloved character. As I could relate to her shyness, maybe I thought that I needed to find that last piece for myself. As if her story had become part of mine, had affected me forever. It may sound ridiculous... But that's the way it is.

Though I loved the Inner Senshi, I was always so intrigued by the Outer Senshi. They were darker people dealing with darker situations, and I loved that aspect. Their contrast with the lighter energy shown by the Inner Senshi made me appreciate both types of characters: the serioius and the humorous, the dark and the light.

Of course, though the Senshi had much to worry about, there was still room for love interests. Sailor Moon's love interest, Tuxedo Mask, definitely caught my attention. Some may think this odd, but he was my cartoon crush. Just look at his picture. Doesn't the word 'dreamy' come to mind? Anyway, his character also had a strong influence on me. Ironically, he somewhat resembles the Phantom from Phantom of the Opera, which would later become my favorite musical. Even as I've grown, I like characters with his mistique and characters that remind me of him and his relationship with Sailor Moon.

By the way... Why does the English dub say that Uranus and Neptune are cousins when they are obviously lesbians? Why? It would have answered so many questions I had as a kid.

Anway, even the Moon Cats had an adorable relationship! Artemis and Luna were so cute together. One day when I was five, a black cat appeared on my porch, and I knew I'd have to name this cat Luna. I still said that when I found out the cat was a boy. Since Sailor Moon led me to love astronomy, I knew that 'luna' referred to the moon. In my five-year-old mind, the moon was a big rock in the sky and had no gender, therefore it was okay to name a boy Luna.

I don't regret that odd decision, strangely.

As I ramble about my life as a Sailor Moon fan and talk about Moon Cats and badass Sailor Senshi, one may wonder what the actual purpose of this show is. It's about the strength of love and frienship, individuality, the beauty of the universe, and liberation. Those are pretty good influences to have at such a young age, aren't they? Because obviously, the effects last forever. Years later, I am looking up information on the parts of the story I didn't see as I kid, that last season that was never aired in English-speaking countries. I am buying the new manga and looking into buying the DVDs of the anime I loved so dearly when I was little.

If this love for the series hasn't faded with time already, I doubt it ever will. And that makes me happy.



This image is from WallpaperGate.com

Forever | by: Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy has been an interesting ride for me, as each book seems to give me a completely different opinion from the others. I wasn't quite sure what to expect of Forever, but I prepared for the worst.

Well, I prepared wrongly.

Sam and Grace's relationship has become utterly complicated. The tables have turned as everything they've been fighting for is at greater risk than ever. Now, they have to worry about even more than their relationship and life together being possible. They also have to worry about the entire pack staying alive in this great climax of their story, which brings an entirely new intensity to the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy.

That's right, I said intensity. If you read my reviews of the previous books in this series, Shiver and Linger, you'd know that I've had issues with the corny/gushy feel of the characters in these books. In Forever, this isn't really a problem. Sure, it's still a bit gushy to begin with, but I think all the good of this book outweighs any corny moment there might have been.

Once again, Cole and Isabel narrate as well as Sam and Grace. But, a fifth narrator has a small chapter. The first chapter. And I'm not going to say who it is, but I will say that this first impression left me rolling my eyes. I said to myself, "Well, I know where this is going." But I didn't. I was expecting the corniest, but I didn't need to. Thank goodness.

Anyway, I still loved the multiple narrations. In other words, I still loved Cole and Isabel's story. Each character had his/her own voice, and Cole's made me giggle at times. For whatever reason, I just enjoyed his idiosyncrasies. Isabel, on the other hand, made me feel incredibly sympathetic. After all this time, these past events have really taken a toll on her. She's still uniquely Isabel, and that's why it hurt to see her hurt.

I must say that I enjoyed reading about Sam and Grace much more in this book since everything became so serious all of a sudden. The sweetness of their relationship is still there, but their struggles have increased, giving them more to worry about. Plus, Grace's friendship with Rachel really shined, which I didn't expect (especially now, of all times, amid all the chaos in the world of wolves). It made me happy to see this.

While reading Forever, Sam was the turning point. There was a part in this book where I immediately knew I would like it much more than the past two of this trilogy. A flashback of a grieving boy and Beck. I've mentioned in the other reviews that part of the reason I'm so drawn to Sam is because of his awful past. Who wouldn't feel terrible for the guy? And people seem to define him by that constantly. With Sam, there's always thoughts of Beck, and even their father-son relationship is tested in this novel, which really grabbed me emotionally.

Even so, what stood out the most about Forever was the climax. Seriously, this is one of the best climaxes I've read about in a long time. The action jumped off the page, and the grief jumped into my heart. A couple of twists made my jaw drop as I read. Really, readers will have a sense of what the characters will have to do to reach some sort of resolution, but I know I never imagined it would turn out like this.

So, Forever surprised me. It was SO much better than the other two books in the series, and I was completely shocked by how much I liked it, even how much I liked the ending. There's still room for imagination, which some readers may despise, but I have hope in my heart for all of these characters because of it.

To be entirely honest, I always thought this trilogy was overrated. With an ending novel like this... I reconsider. I can forgive what I didn't like in Linger, because this was so worth the read.

4.5/5 Stars


Stiefvater, Maggie. Forever
New York: Scholastic Press
2011

Born to Die | Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey is a fairly new indie pop artist, having only released one album thus far, Born to Die. Though her music would generally appeal to fans of Lykke Li, Born to Die is quite unique and includes jazz and R&B influences, making Lana Del Rey an artist that will surely be interesting to hear from over the years.

The first song is the title track, and it's one of my favorites. Right away, the strings are potent, dark and beautiful amid the dark, atmospheric electronic tone to the whole thing. Lana Del Rey's voice is on the deep end (though still very feminine), like velvet, but jazzier than one would initially expect. "Born to Die" has great lyric, and it's a love song in some sense, but about general life in other senses. I love it.

"Off to the Races" is the second track, and this is where I started to see that Lana Del Rey's music may take a little while to grow on some people. Her voice goes jazzy as well as experimental with her high and low notes though the music is still quite electronic. It almost sounds like R&B... but it's not. Indie R&B? Nope, this is indie pop despite it may have crossover appeal. Strings can be heard throughout the song, but the outro is where they are most potent.

We get to hear a little bit of Lana Del Rey's almost childlike high notes in "Off to the Races," but they are vastly important in the next song, "Blue Jeans." This, I'm sure, is just for effect, but it might irritate some. I don't really mind it, but I can tell it'll take a while for me to really get used to it. But, that vocal style completely disappears in the fourth track, "Video Games," where her lower register shines. Besides the title track, this is my favorite from the album. Simplistic piano chords are layered with strings, a noteable harp, and bells. Lana Del Rey is declaring her love in this sweet, almost nostalgic song, which eventually leads to its outro - the strings leaving the piano by itself to play the last few chords.

"Diet Mountain Dew" comes next, a more upbeat song. I really enjoyed this one, with its funky string line and catchy chorus. The whole vibe is best described as classy, and this is sort of continued in the intro of "National Anthem," as the strings remind me of The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony." "National Anthem" is a pretty good track, and it is primarily about money. The chorus is definitely something everyone will want to sing along with as soon as its heard. Vocally the verses are annoying (though it'd be fantastic if they were instrumental), but the general song is so catchy that I can't help but like it.

Lana Del Rey vocalizes quite a bit in "Dark Paradise," which is probably the most fun song on Born to Die. Lyrically, it's not bad, nor is it musically, but I don't seem to like it as much, primarily because though the lyrics are darker and bleak, the music is much lighter. It's like they don't match. However, "Radio," the next song, is one of the more superior songs on the album. It displays a happy-medium of Lana Del Rey's vocal styles, and it's just a great song! It's not upbeat, but it's not too mellow... This song is really well-balanced. A secondary favorite of mine from Born to Die. Plus, I feel it actually has the potential to do well on the charts if it was released as a single.

"Carmen" is the ninth song, and it is another standout. Each verse has a mysterious-sounding melody, but the chorus is quite cheerful-sounding. At this point in listening to the album, I have to wonder if we've come to the end of the whiny, girlish sounding high notes of Lana Del Rey that display such an odd effect, for they have not been present in the past few songs. Of course, since I just noticed this, I expected them to ironically come back during "Million Dollor Man," and I was right. But, they only last for a little bit. Truthfully, "Million Dollar Man" may be the most bluesy song by Lana Del Rey, a song meant for listening in the middle of a rainy night.

Another of the better songs is "Summertime Sadness." Really, the only negative thing about this song is the repetative "I got that summertime sadness" that loops; the rest of it is actually quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the last song, "This is What Makes Us Girls." I like an effective album-closer, and this was a let-down. Nothing about it is bad necessarily, it's just not memorable.

All things considered, Born to Die is a unique album for a unique artist. Just about every song is a love song, often with similar themes, but I think this works for Lana Del Rey. Not everyone will like her, as she's a bit unusual vocally and musically, but in a world of dominating mainstream that bores the human ears to death, this is probably a compliment.

Not every song is a pleaser, but Born to Die has a few special moments. Give the album a try.


4.5/5 Stars

EDIT, AUGUST 1ST: This album is a grower. Seriously, I'm in love. I changed the rating from a 3.5/5 to 4.5/5. Every slightly positive thing I said about any one of these songs has been magnified beyond anything I expected. The only ones I'm not the fondest of at this point are "Blue Jeans" and "This is What Makes Us Girls," but neither drag the album down.

Originally, I said to give the album a try. If you still can't find anything magnificent, try again. It's so worth it.

Guardian of the Gate | by: Michelle Zink

Finally, I got my hands on a copy of Michelle Zink's Guardian of the Gate, the sequal to her debut novel, Prophecy of the Sisters. I don't know how I ever managed to wait so long before continuing this awesome YA trilogy!

Eight months after Lia left for London, she and Sonia wait for the keys to be found in order to end the prophecy. But, it seems now that as the search for the keys continues, they must travel to find the missing pages of the prophecy in order to learn how to end it forever. Though they do not travel alone, they must keep watch for the Souls trying to get to Lia in order to get her to aid their opposing side in the prophecy.

All the while, Lia's twin sister, Alice, is also a threat to Lia's side. As she grows even stronger, Alice is now intervening with the life Lia left behind in New York; the life that involved James.

Lia and Alice may be sisters, but more than anything, they are enemies.

This tale of rival twins is a dark and adventurous one! As it was with Prophecy of the Sisters the mood is just right. It may be creepy, but it's far from low-spirited. Perhaps this balance is even more evident in Guardian of the Gate because there's so much traveling involved, which helps to build anticipation as one reads. Though the characters often travel, their voyages do not get particularly monotonous as some journies can be. It was all quite eventful with plenty of surprises.

One of those surprises is Dimitri. At first, we get a glimpse of his character, but then BAM - he's important. When I say it like this, I don't mean that the pace wasn't even or anything negative. I was just surprised to see this character really come forth. Well, maybe I did expect that... I guess I just didn't expect to like him so much. When it comes to YA series' anymore, I always expect a new love interest that I don't like as much to be introduced in the second book. Dimitri didn't follow that typical standard. Sure, he's a new love interest. But he's likeable and seems smart thus far. Even in terms of plot, not much is predictable.

Also, I enjoyed reading about Luisa. If I ever laughed during this book, it was because of her. Oppositely, some of the grumpy women on Altus really annoyed me. Especially Ursula. Anyway, I felt for Lia whenever she had to have awkward conversations with these snooty people, no matter how beautiful of a place Altus may be. I really hope that these cranky women don't get in Lia's way or add to her current level of stress in the next book.

Unfortunately, we don't get to see much of Lia's sinister sibling, Alice. This happens due to all of the traveling Lia must do in Guardian of the Gate, bringing her away from her power-crazed sister. Let's face it, Alice is kind of creepy, but that makes her interesting to read about. And obviously, you kind of need her in order to enforce the whole twin enemies concept. This concept is still enforced though her lack of presence made it less potent.

But as with the first book, the general plot and the writing of Guardian of the Gate captured my attention more than any of the other elements, especially now that there are more twists in this stupendous sequal. Although our poor protagonist, Lia, has to deal with all of these new twists, she seems to deal with it all quite well, but not unreasonably. At times she is exhausted and constantly dwells on even the more minute problems, but she's one of the smarter protagonists of YA. She thinks.

I must admit that I adore this trilogy! Reading both books have been such fun! I refuse to wait around too long before finally buying Circle of Fire, the final book of Lia's story. With the first two novels being more than exceptional, I'm sure that I won't be disappointed.

4.5/5 Stars


Zink, Michelle. Guardian of the Gate
New York: Little, Brown and Company
2010

Linger | by: Maggie Stiefvater

Linger is the second book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy, and it is the continuation of Grace and Sam's story, with two more perspectives.

Just as they thought that everything was fine, that their love story finally came to its happy resolution, new problems are on the horizon. Sam must deal with a choice Beck has made, a choice that brought a new character: Cole. Cole is one of four narrators readers will come across in this novel as Sam and Grace's story intertwines with the lives of Isabel and Cole, who are connected by their own personal struggles. In addition, they add to Grace and Sam's plot just as much. But together, Grace and Sam are going to have to face an untimely reality that may separate them; for something unavoidable isn't quite right.

When I first started reading Linger, I had rather low expectations. With the introduction to a new male character, I expected him to be a contender for Grace's love since this happens with many second books in paranormal romance series', but thank goodness, I was wrong. Cole, a new character in the Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy, really boosted my opinion for this book. I really enjoyed reading his narrations as well as Isabel's narrations, and their complex relationship kept me interested more than Sam and Grace's story. In some odd way, it was refreshing to read about two very imperfect people.

With that being said, the main plot with Sam and Grace is very, very predictable. The general plot in captivating in some ways, but the author gives so many hints but takes so long to get to the point. I knew what was going to happen in the end, the only thing that was a little surprising was the manner in which it happened. Although I was correct in my predictions, the climax was still quite effective since it was so full of action (which was something I did not predict).

Part of the reason why I may have preferred hearing from Cole and Isabel is that I really don't care much for Grace. I cannot relate to her whatsoever when it comes to much of anything. Plus, I got a bit frustrated with her towards the end. Though I understand that she's angry that her parents (who do an awful job of parenting) suddenly forced themselves into her life after years of absence, she went about her anger in a rather... less smart way. Seriously: You get in trouble once for something that every parent on the planet would get angry about. You can at least pretend to follow through with the punishment. Really, it's no wonder they punished her over and over again - she's not very sneaky! Sure, this might be the closest we get to real life, but it's very irritating as a reader.

More than anything, this book was a bit too gushy at times. I know I mentioned this in my review of the first novel of this trilogy, Shiver, but it got worse. Grace nearly drove me insane with her constant whining: "Boohoo I miss Sam; I haven't seen him in two whole days!" But, the generally corny vibe didn't just affect her, it also affected Sam. He's no different. (However, I guess I like Sam, but maybe I just pity him because of his past...) Even the writing was affected by this element. Is Maggie Stiefvater a good writer? I think so, but the gushiness really took away from it. I think the writing would have done much better in a different setting.

I'm realizing that Cole and Isabel's story lacked all of the things I just complained about. Even so, the climax of the book does seem to pay off any problem I had with Sam and Grace since the engrossing elements of their story is highlighted. The way that both stories have merged make it special; Maggie Stiefvater knew what she was doing.

In truth, this wasn't a bad sequal, but it wasn't the best. It was on the fence. Readers will be hung over a cliffhanger and likely want to see what happens next, just as I do. After reading this book, my expectations for the third book, Forever, aren't really expectations at all since Linger was a a bit in-between. Forever could be as in-between as this installment, as good as Shiver, absolutely beautiful, or absolutely terrible for all I know. I can't tell at this point. All the more reason for me to go ahead and read the next book.

Linger will somewhat satisfy those who read the first novel in this trilogy with its new character and the entertainment it brings. Though it was predictable and far from a perfect novel, it's entertaining enough nontheless.

3/5 Stars


Stiefvater, Maggie. Linger
New York: Scholastic Press
2010